Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Heart of the Storm
by Blue Luxio
Summary: An impulsive Shinx is snatched away from the jaws of death, saved by his own mysterious abilities. Upon arriving in a strange place, he manages to forge a new life with an odd friend. However, old enemies lurk in the shadows, waiting to strike again.
1. Nightmare

**CHAPTER ONE**

_**Nightmare**_

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><p>Escape.<p>

A tantalizing word, a tempting word. A word that promised freedom and happiness.

A fantasy. A different world.

Yet now, this distant dream was coming to life. It blossomed around them, beautiful and brilliant - but harsh and cruel. Like winter's icy embrace.

_Nightmare._

A dark word. A haunting word.

A reality.

In order to escape their nightmare, the silver-eyed Shinx and his mother would have to sacrifice something important. Something vital.

Something... _precious._

They didn't have a choice, and they couldn't turn back.

* * *

><p>The silver-eyed Shinx trotted behind his mother, exhaustion in every step. They had just run across miles of unfamiliar land, and at last he had been allowed to walk at a manageable pace. Though his muscles burned and paws ached, he was more than content to just <em>walk.<em>

Then, suddenly, his mother stopped.

Not noticing that she had halted until it was too late, the Shinx bumped into the back of her legs. The resulting pain was intensified by his weariness, and a small cry slipped past his lips.

A low growl vibrated in her mother's voice as she shushed him. Her hiss was filled with urgency – and maybe even _fear._

Fear?

But his mother was never scared. She was brave and invincible. She was perfect, in his eyes.

He dropped into a low crouch, trying to hide in the shadows. It was difficult to stop himself from whimpering – he could feel nothing but icy terror.

A quiet voice spoke. "Turn back now."

From the shadows came a male Luxray. His dark fur – indigo and black – had concealed him perfectly.

He could have followed them the entire way.

The Shinx suppressed a whimper with difficulty. Was their fantasy false? Had they never really escaped?

"We can never turn back. You have never accepted us, and it was time to leave." His mother spoke in a harsh growl, the sleek fur along her back beginning to bristle. She looked fierce, now – bordering on frightening.

But the other Luxray was not impressed.

"Turn back now, and I will not kill you," he repeated, his voice deadly-soft.

With an unpleasant sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, the Shinx realized that, despite his words, the elderly Luxray did not want them to turn back.

He wanted a fight, and he was going to get one, whether his victims obeyed or not.

The Shinx's mother stared evenly at the male, her eyes narrowed. Then she shifted her position, sweeping her tail back and forth – and kicked her son into the undergrowth.

He crouched there, wrapping his tail around his body. Now that he was away from the protection of his mother, he was unable to stop himself from shivering. Yet the ferns that shaded him remained still, as if scorning his fear.

"Don't even try protecting him." The male took a slow step forward, the movement fluid and graceful. "If you refuse to give in, I will kill you both." His golden eyes took on a nasty gleam – twin beacons, shining in the dark.

Then he smiled, revealing each shining tooth.

"Now… who's first?"

The Shinx's mother lunged.

She caught his shoulder with a powerful swipe, leaving a trail of bloody marks running down his foreleg. The male howled and charged at her, tackling her to the ground. Yet she twisted away, moving out of his reach.

Electricity sparked and flared, giving the battlers' fur a pale glow. They leaped at each other again, reaching out with static-enforced paws, striking and bashing and clawing. Growls and hisses echoed in the dark clearing.

And blood fell like rain to the forest floor.

The silver-eyed Shinx began quivering harder, the tiniest of whimpers escaping his mouth. He was helpless, defenseless, hopeless.

Against the power of their former captor, how could they survive?

He watched in terror from the shadows as the two Luxray fought. His mother was nimble, and her agility had saved her from many a nasty blow. Yet the male was stronger, and he had much more stamina.

His mother was tiring. She stumbled on her paws before lashing out, scoring another blow. The male didn't even flinch at the weak attack, though; he caught the female in the stomach with a powerful kick. Sparks flew as he did so, as bright as those evil golden eyes.

The silver-eyed Shinx watched in horrified silence as his mother fell to the ground, unable to move due to her paralysis. She stared up into the face of the older male, her eyes locked onto his.

"Good night," he whispered, his voice a silky purr.

Then he lunged, lightning-swift, silent as the shadows. His teeth closed in around her throat, clamping together with deadly force. Blood sprayed the grass as he crushed her windpipe.

"And sweet dreams," he finished, drawing away with blood dripping from his jaws. It ran like a river down his throat, staining his fur scarlet.

And, just like that, the little Shinx was an orphan.

He shook violently, whimpering pathetically, claws digging into the grassy earth. He felt numb, cold – almost dead, like it had been his throat that had been crushed.

His mother, the only living being in the world who loved him, stared at the sky with empty eyes. Her life drained out of her in a dark red river, staining the grass and gathering in a puddle.

When the silver-eyed Shinx had suffered, his mother had always been there for him. She was the valiant protector, the invincible guardian. She was the one who would never fade from his life. It had seemed like she would remain there, rock-solid, though his father had drifted away…

Yet now, her body lay dead and bleeding on the ground, growing cold as the warmth faded from it. She was gone – gone – _gone._

All gone.

And there was no bringing her back.

The older male looked up from his kill, a cold smile creeping across his face. There was blood on his teeth, on his face, on his claws.

He was a murderer, and he was searching for his next target.

But it quickly became clear that something was wrong.

The silver-eyed Shinx was certainly hiding in the foliage, quivering violently in the shadows. Yet his scent was still there, and the sound of his breathing… and a Luxray's superior vision would easily be able to pierce the darkness and find him there.

Yet his mother's killer appeared not to see him. His evil golden gaze passed over the ferns, not seeing what was hidden within.

"Come out to play, little kitten," the Luxray purred, scanning the darkness once more before moving away. His stride was just as powerful and elegant as before. He was completely unfazed by the fact that he had just killed someone…

And then he was gone.

The Shinx was left immobile in the ferns. Even his violent shaking had come to a halt, stilled by the horror of what he had just witnessed.

He stared into the clearing, eyes unseeing. His mother's death replayed in his mind – the glassy look of her eyes, the jaws snapping shut on her throat, the thud of her body as she hit the grass.

The male Luxray would not return here to look for him. Hope flickered in the darkness that had become the silver-eyed Shinx's life – he could escape now.

He could pay his respects to his mother and escape, running again into the unknown.

Slowly, he unfroze, stepping out of the shade. His steps were numb and dead, landing hard on the bloodstained grass.

It took an eternity for him to reach his mother's dead body. And he simply stood there, looking at her without really seeing.

Then he stumbled, collapsing into her wet fur, lying in her shadow. Her comforting scent remained, faint beneath the stench of blood. Yet he could smell it, and he inhaled it deeply. He wanted the memory of her to last forever.

The Shinx's faint whimpers started up again, gradually escalating into wails. The desperate sound of his sorrow echoed in the clearing, ripping from his throat.

He had to run – to _escape. _He could not remain here while his mother's corpse rotted, could not stay while a killer stalked through these woods.

As his crying reached a powerful new volume, his jumbled thoughts became clear.

_Take me away! I don't want to be here! Take me somewhere safe! Please, please, let me leave! Please_!

A torrent of hissing voices seemed to whisper in response, echoing eerily into his ears.

Then it was gone.

Everything was gone.

And the world faded to black.

* * *

><p><em>I've awoken from a nightmare...<em>

…_only to realize that I hadn't been dreaming…_

* * *

><p>A creature stirred in the depths of a dark red prison. Eyes opened, a body twitched. Life returned to the hollow shell of a monster that had once been great.<p>

Yet, for this beast, there was no hope of escape.

No hope at all.

* * *

><p>…<em>and this nightmare haunts me, follows me… <em>

…_for all eternity._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Aaaand… welcome to Heart of the Storm!_

_No worries – the whole story won't be this dark. There will be plenty of humor in here, though there will be some blood and gore._

_For old readers looking back at this... all I can say is that Chapter 1 __**really**__ needed a rewrite. xD _


	2. A Possible Ally

**CHAPTER TWO**

_**A Possible Ally**_

* * *

><p>"Hey! Hey, are you okay?"<p>

The silver-eyed Shinx stirred as a voice broke into his slumber. The urgency in the speaker's tone alarmed him at first, then he realized drowsily that it was just Flare trying to wake him again before training… he didn't care about getting in trouble anymore… none of it really mattered, since they were going to escape tomorr-

It hit him.

They had already escaped.

Flare was far, far behind, the cruel punishments were finished forever, and he had fled successfully from Elder Indigo. Somehow.

But his mother had not.

His mother was dead.

His mother, the only living being who loved and cared for him, was dead.

"Shinx, are you all right?" the unfamiliar voice asked again, sounding worried and frightened. "You don't look so good. Are you okay?"

He buried his nose in his paws, making a high-pitched keening sound in the back of his throat. In his mind, he kept replaying that horrible image over and over – his mother facing down Indigo, the old Luxray lunging in, his jaws dripping with blood –

Something warm touched the top of his head. A paw, patting him awkwardly. The gesture was nervous, and those sharp claws almost _hurt..._ but, somehow, it was soothing. And it felt sincere. No one had ever tried to comfort him before.

"Look, you'll be okay. I can get you some things that will help. Have you ever heard of Oran berries? They're really tasty, and they work wonders." The chatter seemed nervous, as if – in some strange way – the speaker was reassuring himself. "There's a tree right there, see?"

The Shinx lifted his head slightly, just enough so that he could peek at his surroundings and that the kind stranger.

He seemed to be in a grassy area of some sort, filled with plenty of trees. A familiar sweet fragrance filled the air – the aroma of ripe Pecha berries. It was strong, very strong, leading him to believe that he was in a Pecha grove of some sort.

Not far away, he saw an orange shape reaching up to grab one of the low-hanging berries from a tree. Unlike the pink fruit that dominated most of the area, the berries were blue and hard. They were Oran berries – a very welcome sight indeed.

Upon closer inspection, the Shinx realized that the orange figure was a Charmander. He had only heard of the fire lizards in stories before, and this one didn't seem to be half as violent as those he had heard about in tales. In fact, this Pokémon seemed to be quite nice.

But then, the tales his tribe had told him had never been exactly... _trustworthy._

The Charmander turned around, holding a large Oran in one claw, and noticed that the Shinx was watching him. Delight seemed to illuminate that reptilian face. "You _are _all right! I was worried there. You were making weird noises and stuff. But you should have this anyways."

The Shinx watched in bewilderment as a complete stranger set the Oran berry in front of him. As far as he could tell, he wouldn't be punished if he ate the fruit that had been offered to him... but were any strings attached?

As he continued to stare in confusion - and suspicion - at the kindly Charmander, he became aware of the aches in his legs. Eating the berry would help.

"Thanks," he mumbled, taking a cautious bite of the fruit. It had a predominantly sour flavor, though there was some sweetness to it, as well as a bitter taste. Though the flavor was odd at first, he found that he quite liked it, and began to eat much faster than before.

The berry seemed to replenish his energy. As soon as he finished it, he found that most of his lethargy had faded away. In fact, he felt like he could actually bear the pain of his mother's death.

His mother's death.

"What's wrong there, Shinx?" asked the Charmander worriedly, noticing the change in his expression. "You've got a pained sort of look. Are you okay? Didn't the Oran help?"

The silver-eyed Shinx swallowed multiple times, as if doing so would help rid him of the memory. When it didn't, he just slumped down, feeling exhausted all over again. Though the burning ache in his muscles had faded somewhat – a pain he had not noticed until now – he still hurt all over.

"You went through something bad, didn't you?" guessed the Charmander, his anxiety replaced by sympathy. "Well… I'm really, really sorry, Shinx. Maybe we can help you. I know some Pokémon who might be able to do something."

_You can't do anything. None of your friends can help me, _wailed the Shinx inwardly. But he kept his thoughts to himself and merely buried his face in his paws again, concentrating solely on the sweet scent of Pecha berries in an attempt to escape the memories.

"Look, Shinx. If you can just make it back to the town with me, then we'll be able to find help for you." The Charmander sounded awkward. "We can find a place to stay for you, too, and food to eat. You'll be fine if you come along."

The town would be fine, he supposed, but he couldn't stay forever. He didn't know what he was going to do now that he had escaped – though how, he had no clue – but he certainly wasn't wasting his life as one of the normal townsfolk.

And if it was a trap… well, the Shinx was done for anyways if he didn't find somewhere to go. A trap would be a nicer fate than starving to death.

"O-okay. I'll come." Even the words sounded dejected, worn-out.

The Charmander reached out a paw to help steady him as he rose to his feet. Though the offering was kind, the Shinx had no clue how to accept it, seeing as he was bipedal and all. He just mumbled something vaguely grateful.

"It's no problem, Shinx." The Charmander moved as if to set off, but then paused. "Uh… Shinx. I guess you must be tired of me calling you by your species name, huh?"

The Shinx shrugged tiredly.

"Well, what's your name, then?" the lizard asked, glancing curiously at him. "Mine's Blaize. Fitting for a fire-type, right?"

The Shinx didn't bother to answer the second question, seeing as it was already obvious. Instead, he replied to the first inquiry in a low, unhappy voice. His own name was a reminder of the horrible life he had endured back with his tribe, with only Flare and his mother to care for him.

"Sterling. I'm Sterling."

Blaize gave him a bright smile. "That's a cool name! Blaize and Sterling are both great names, don't you think? Better than something really ridiculous, like Fluffy, that's for sure." He grinned. "I once met a Jigglypuff named Fluffy. Even for a Jigglypuff, that's still a bad name, huh?"

And so Blaize led Sterling out of the Pecha grove, talking cheerfully all the way. The chatter seemed a little forced, as if the friendly Charmander was doing this just to keep Sterling happy, but it was a good replacement for the silence that would have been there otherwise.

Only after they had exited the grove completely and had reached the edge of a small field that led to Blaize's mysterious town did Sterling realize something.

Not once had Blaize questioned him about his odd silver eyes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN: <strong>_

_Happy 2012, everyone!_

_This isn't a very interesting chapter, but we do get to meet Blaize, as well as hear about the character Flare. Now who could Flare be...?_

_Please comment and critique in a review! The feedback is useful._


	3. Newleaf Town

**CHAPTER THREE**

_**Newleaf Town**_

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><p>The realization was shocking. All his life, Sterling had been hated and despised, punished and treated cruelly – and all because of his odd parentage and silver eyes. Yet this friendly Charmander had come along, helped him and been kind to him, had not even seemed to notice that they were different. It was very suspicious. No – maybe not suspicious, but odd. Definitely odd.<p>

He stopped to stare in confusion at the Charmander, who continued walking, unaware that his companion had paused. Blaize seemed so _nice, _yet the fact that he didn't mention Sterling's eyes – eyes he was named after – was just strange.

That wasn't the oddest part, though. Blaize hadn't humiliated or taunted him about his eyes. He hadn't sneered or called him a freak.

This new place was evidently stranger than he had thought.

"Uh… Blaize." He stumbled over the unfamiliar name.

The Charmander stopped and glanced back, wearing a smile. "Yes? Are you okay? Or are you wondering how far the town is from here? We're nearly there, I promise. We just have to cross the field and the river, and then we'll be there. You can get help there."

"No… that's not it." Sterling stared at his paws, suddenly unsure if he should speak up or not. His confusion - and longing to know more - won out in the end, though. "Uh… well… you seem nice, but… um… I have silver eyes. Weird… you know? But… you didn't seem to notice them. Or mention them." The words sounded pathetic, and he winced inwardly at how accusatory they sounded.

Blaize's smile faded. "Well… I did notice your eyes, but I didn't talk about them. They are really cool, you know." He seemed sincere. "Where I come from, just about everybody has little differences like those – in their appearance and their abilities. They're very common, really."

"What?" It was unthinkable. Back in the tribe, anyone with differences of those was treated cruelly and generally hated by everyone. But it seemed that, outside of the secluded plains, they were tolerated – even _encouraged._

"Well… yeah." Blaize frowned. "Most Pokémon these days choose mates from other species. If we didn't do that, then just about every type of Pokémon would be extinct by now."

"Really?" It was a shocking thought. In his old tribe, having a mate from a different species – in fact, even being different at all – was violating some sacred law or other, and everyone seemed only too happy to deal out the punishments.

Blaize blinked, noticing the surprise in his tone. "Where_ do_ you come from, Sterling?"

The inevitable question.

Bad memories assaulted him. Sterling stared determinedly at the ground and chose not to reply.

The question didn't seem to require an answer. Blaize sighed, a solemn sound. "Wherever it is, it must be harsh. Very few places don't allow Pokémon from different species to mate, and those that do are supposed to be… strange." He trailed off.

Sterling understood _that _completely.

The Charmander paused before continuing. "Pokémon who breed with those from other species can usually have children if they're in the same egg group." Something like a blush colored his cheeks, though it was hard to tell, seeing as his scales were already red. "Their children can have strange appearances and abilities."

So Sterling's parents weren't freaks, and he wasn't a mutant.

The two of them continued walking again, exiting the grove quickly enough and entering a small field. It seemed pleasant enough, and the air smelled fresh and grassy there. Nobody spoke, allowing the rustling of swaying grass to fill the gap in their conversation.

"But," Blaize said suddenly, breaking the silence, "the children's abilities are balanced out. For example, if your mother was a Charizard and your father was a Nidoking, then you would inherit some traits from your father but lose some from your mother. Like tougher scales and the ability to use more ground-type attacks, but you'd lose some speed and fire abilities."

Sterling looked strangely at the Charmander. "That seems like an… odd example to make."

Blaize's blush grew more evident. "W-well… um… it might be true. For me, I mean." He clearly had a tendency to babble when he was nervous.

It felt almost relieving, though, to have met someone who wasn't hated for his odd parentage. In fact, it made thinking of his mother easier. Sterling could almost imagine her with his father without any pain, though her loss still hurt him.

He could almost imagine his father. His mother had always spoken very fondly about him, and loved him still. _Had _loved him. He hoped that his father still loved her. It certainly seemed so, considering the sacrifice he had made to protect his mate and kitten.

And his father had possibly even passed more traits down to him than his silver eyes. Perhaps that had something to do with how Sterling had escaped from Indigo, which had seemed quite a lot like teleporting.

"Who was your father, Sterling?" asked Blaize suddenly, as if he had read the Shinx's thoughts.

Sterling stared at his paws, suddenly shy again. "An Absol," he muttered. And then he would say no more.

* * *

><p>They walked through the rest of the field in silence. A light breeze stirred the long grass, which swayed gently, and ruffled the Shinx's fur. The breeze carried the sweet scent of the Pecha grove, as well as the leafy smell of trees and undergrowth. It was an almost comforting smell.<p>

Soon enough, they reached the edge of the field. There, a river ran, separating the field from the lands beyond. Its water looked swift and strong – nothing that they could cross easily.

However, upon closer inspection, Sterling noticed a bridge a little farther away. And in the distance, he could vaguely make out house-shaped objects. It seemed that the town was as close by as Blaize had promised.

The Charmander spoke up, pointing a claw at the distant collection of houses. "Look, Sterling! That's Newleaf Town. It's where I live, and you can live there too, if you want." He turned and gave the Shinx a bright smile that seemed almost hopeful.

The silent, slightly awkward walk had made Sterling shy again, and he was reluctant to admit any weakness. "Uh… I don't really know where to go from here." He clawed nervously at the mud, which stuck unpleasantly to his fur.

"No worries. I can show you around," Blaize assured him.

"Thanks." That, too, was an unfamiliar word, one he used rarely.

Blaize didn't seem to notice how awkwardly he said it. He held out a claw again – a rather useless gesture, seeing as Sterling couldn't exactly hold or shake it – and began charging for the bridge. "Let's go, then! You'll love Newleaf, I promise!"

Sterling, with one last glance back at the Pecha grove and the field, followed after.

* * *

><p>The bridge was old, but it was sturdy enough and barely creaked as they walked over it. Sterling still felt slightly nervous as he crossed, glancing cautiously down at the river, though Blaize acted confident. "The bridge will hold you, I promise. It's stable. I've seen a group of Golems walk across it."<p>

Sterling, though, could tell from both the babbling and from Blaize's tail-flame – which was beginning to increase in size – that being so close to the water made him nervous. He couldn't really blame the poor Charmander. The thought of falling into the river scared him, and _he _was an electric-type.

The walk across seemed to stretch for eternities, and Sterling was relieved when they finally stepped off it, finding themselves close to the town.

Newleaf seemed nice enough. It was close to the edge of some forest, so the town did appear to have a very natural look to it, though it wasn't just composed of pretty plants and vines. There were plenty of stone buildings and houses – in fact, there were very rarely any wooden ones.

When asked about it, Blaize laughed. "It's built that way so that fire-types like me don't burn it down! Naturally, the grass Pokémon weren't too pleased about having to replace their wooden homes with stone, but it's been helpful in the long run."

"I would think so." Sterling eyed the flickering tail-flame.

As soon as they reached the outskirts of town, Blaize turned to him. "I'll show you around tomorrow, okay? For tonight, I'll just bring you to the inn. They accept all sorts of Pokémon and won't ask many questions."

But only a few questions would be too much. Sterling flinched at imagining being interrogated about his mother's death, and – despite what Blaize had said earlier – the possibility that they would laugh and call him a freak for his silver eyes still seemed very likely.

"Don't worry, Sterling. We're all friendly here." The Charmander gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Sterling couldn't help but squirm a little, though he kept silent.

At first, the streets seemed rather bare, and the houses seemed to be mostly unoccupied. Then the roads became well-kept – made of paved stone instead of dirt, and free of any kind of litter – and the houses had gardens and lush yards, as well as lights on inside and Pokémon playing out front.

Those who noticed the duo gave them friendly nods. Though none of them seemed cruel or mean or tried to humiliate him for having silver eyes and being a freak, Sterling remained on edge.

Luckily, the path to the inn didn't take them to a very busy part of town. It did lead through a slightly crowded area, though.

"This way leads to the shops," Blaize explained, pointing at a well-lit street that separated two rows of houses, then turned out of sight. "It's usually pretty crowded right now. You should see it in the mornings, though. It's really bad then."

Sterling, though he listened as Blaize pointed out a few important streets and landmarks, mostly paid attention to the houses. The sheer variety of them amazed him. Not one was the same, though they were often made of the same building material – some had torches in the front, or trees actually growing into the house, or ivy growing on the walls, and some were shaped like a Pokémon's head.

"And here's the inn." The Charmander pointed at a large building made from red bricks. It had plenty of windows and a well-kept front lawn that was filled to the brim with flowers and shrubs.

Plenty of Pokémon swarmed around the garden and the front steps. Sterling found himself growing uneasy, then frightened as he neared the large crowd, and kept his face downturned so that his eyes were hidden. Blaize patiently steered him through.

Inside, it seemed rather empty, though a fireplace warmed it. A few Pokémon sat around, chatting or reading, but were mostly quiet.

_Reading. _Sterling had only seen a few books before in his life – enough to teach him the language, but too few to satisfy his hunger for adventure. He had never been satisfied with boring tribe life, and never would have been even if he had been treated decently.

Blaize moved him along, steering him to a counter. Behind it, a Kirlia was reading, evidently unaware that she had guests.

"Um…" Sterling began, unsure of how to start. "Uh… um…"

With a sigh, Blaize interrupted. "My friend here is new to town and doesn't have anywhere to stay. Do you think you can let him stay in a room for awhile?"

The Kirlia stared almost blankly at him, long enough for Sterling to become half-convinced that she was deaf. Then she chirped, "Of course! There's one empty right now. Let me show you to it." She sprang from her seat. "It's got enough room for two Pokémon."

"I won't be staying in it. I already live here," Blaize told her.

For some reason, that seemed to make Sterling feel oddly sad.

The Kirlia nodded, smiling cheerfully. "Okay, then! Let me show you to your room!"

Sterling followed her as she led him from the counter and down a long hallway. She pointed out the room, which was near the very end, and opened the door so that he could check it out. To his relief, Blaize came with him.

The room seemed very simple, with little more than two straw beds, a fireplace, and a table with a bowl of fruit on the top – apples, probably. Sterling found that he preferred it to the mad rush of houses and Pokémon that he had seen earlier that day

"Thanks," he mumbled to the Kirlia. It was the second time he had said it in one day – a record for him.

"Not a problem, not a problem! Always a pleasure to be of service! Make sure to come back to the Newleaf Inn later," she chirped before prancing away, almost twirling as she walked.

Blaize plopped down in one of the beds with a long sigh. "That's Stella. She's nice, but a little odd. When she reads, it usually takes a full minute for her to come back into the real world, and then she's very… cheerful."

Sterling sat in the other one, his exhaustion returning. Though it was still clearly daytime, he felt more tired than ever before. Besides, the straw felt soft and comfortable, as if coaxing him to fall asleep within it. "It's nice here, I guess. Too crowded for my liking."

"You'll get used to it," Blaize promised.

From the way the Charmander talked, Sterling guessed that Blaize was under the impression that he was going to stay in Newleaf for a while. Maybe he was and maybe not. The town didn't really seem all that appealing, though it was interesting to look at.

"Look, I can tell that you're exhausted." Blaize gave Sterling another pat on the shoulder. Those pats were starting to get annoying, though they did feel a bit comforting. "Why don't you take a nap?"

The bed did feel comfortable, and he wanted to go to sleep. But it felt wrong to do so all alone, when he was used to sleeping alongside his mother. And even though the rest of the tribe hadn't slept exactly _close _to them, they had always been nearby.

"Uh… Blaize?" he asked hesitantly. "Can you… stay here? With me?"

"Of course." The reply was soothing.

And then Sterling curled up into the warmth of his bed, breathing in the soft scent of the golden straw, and let sleep overtake him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN:<strong>_

_This was originally meant to be split into two chapters, but I decided to combine them. _

_There, guys! Sterling's silver eyes are some clichéd attempt at making him look "special." Just about everybody in this fic has some oddity or other. Blaize, for example, has poisonous claws, as you'll see soon._

_Speaking of "everybody in this fic…" there will be some… _interesting _characters next chapter. You'll like them, I promise._


	4. The Grand Tour

**CHAPTER FOUR**

_**The Grand Tour**_

* * *

><p>"Hey, Ster! Wake up! Come on, it's time for your special tour!"<p>

Something was shaking him vigorously, which was actually quite painful. Sterling whined and attempted to burrow deeper into the warmth of his nest, breathing in the sweet scent of the hay.

Then his eyes shot open as he realized where he was. He was in the inn of Newleaf Town, where Pokémon like him weren't despised and shunned, and he was ready to begin his new life without his mother, without Flare. And it would begin this morning.

"Come on, Ster! You've slept long enough!" the voice groaned. It was Blaize, of course.

Sterling rolled over reluctantly, opening his eyes. The exasperated Charmander was standing over him, chewing on something vaguely round and red while he complained. It was an oddly amusing sight.

"I'm up." Sterling sat up with a huge yawn, then paused. "Wait a moment. Did you just call me Ster?"

"A couple of times, actually. What do you want me to call you, Ing?" Blaize grinned at his expression. "Well, I'm sorry, O great king Ing, for calling you by the wrong na-!"

He was cut off mid-sentence when Sterling tackled him, using both brute force and the element of surprise to pin the Charmander to the ground. With a triumphant hiss, he placed a paw on Blaize's chest and firmly held him there.

"Never, ever call me by a nickname again," he growled, shoving his nose close to the fire lizard's face. Though his voice sounded threatening, he was half-smiling.

Blaize was grinning too, even though the attack had caused the half-eaten apple to fly out of his hand. "Of course… Sterl…ing."

Then they began to tussle, Sterling yowling with indignation and Blaize laughing at his expression. The play-fight was slightly awkward, seeing as one was bipedal and the other a quadruped, and Blaize had a very hot fire burning on the tip of his tail. But Sterling found it fun anyways.

When they rolled away from each other, he found that he felt significantly more refreshed and felt light-hearted and cheerful, though hungry. In fact, he felt so hungry that it was surprising he hadn't noticed it before now. "Uh, Blaize, I'm hungry."

The Charmander snorted. "I'm not surprised. You did sleep for a really long time, after all. And fighting with me must draining."

"How long?" Sterling, ignoring the boasting, pricked his ears and looked out one of the windows. The light streaming through did seem unusually pale for mid-afternoon, and had an almost watery quality to it.

"Well, you slept through the rest of last afternoon, all of the night, and a little bit of the morning. It's still pretty early, though. I wanted to wake you up before you started hibernating." Blaize gave him a teasing smirk.

Sterling wanted to retort, though the impatient growling of his stomach interrupted him. "Is there anything to eat, or did you steal it all?"

"I only ate one apple," Blaize protested. "Don't you trust me?"

Sterling hopped up onto one of the chairs seated around the table. From there, he could easily take fruit from the bowl in the center. "Not at all, Charmander. Not even the tiniest bit."

Though that wasn't really true, he realized as he examined the bowl. He reached in a paw and picked out something that might have been a Leppa - he had never eaten one before. As he bit into it, a rush of flavor seemed to spring from the fruit, filling his mouth.

While chewing, he glanced thoughtfully at Blaize, who was finishing his apple on the other side of the table.

Somehow, he had befriended the Charmander, and had even come to trust him. Though only a little. Trust was a dangerous gift to give, even to the most loyal of friends, and Sterling wasn't willing to let himself become destroyed by trusting others.

His expression must have darkened, because Blaize gave him a serious look from across the table. Through a mouthful of apple, he asked, "Is there something wrong, Sterling?"

"I'm a little nervous at going around town," he admitted. Which was the truth, even if it wasn't the whole truth.

"Well, don't be. We're all like a big family, though there are a few bullies. They're lazy, though, and won't be awake at this time of day." Blaize seemed confident about that.

"I guess." Sterling finished his Leppa with a great swallow and looked expectantly at the Charmander. "You can show me around. Just… nowhere too crowded, okay?"

"Not a problem!" Blaize grinned. The smile looked too devious for the Shinx's liking.

* * *

><p>The first place Blaize showed him was a small square, which was, unfortunately, nastily crowded. Merchants sat behind crudely built stalls, calling out the names of their wares, and proudly displaying their merchandise to admiring eyes. There was a wide variety of objects being sold there, ranging from food items to scarves and hats to what even looked like charcoal.<p>

"The traders come to Newleaf every spring and winter," Blaize informed Sterling. "They're really called 'traveling teams.' We just call them traders. They're considered to be teams because they willingly venture into mystery dungeons, but they don't really save anyone or explore. They just look for stuff to sell."

So mystery dungeons didn't just occur back at the tribe. Sterling felt his heartbeat speed up at the mention of them. Mystery dungeons had always fascinated him. "Do they find lots of rare things in them, too? Do they get lost easily?"

"They do find lots of cool stuff. But they're experienced, so only the new traders get lost." Blaize pointed at a nearby Raichu. "Why don't you ask him?"

Sterling was about to snarl a negative, terrified by the very thought of speaking to a stranger who would possibly humiliate him because of his oddly colored eyes, when he caught sight of the Raichu's tail-tip.

Instead of a lightning bolt at the end of it, there was a glossy red orb.

"All right," Sterling said, striding forward. His heart skipped a beat when the electric mouse glanced sideways, though there was friendliness in the trader's gaze.

"Hi there, Shinx. How are you doing?" the Raichu-Ampharos greeted cheerfully. He had an odd accent, one that Sterling didn't recognize. "Want to buy any of my wares? We have plenty, and we're selling at low prices."

"Uh… no. I was just, uh, wondering what traders do. You know, traveling and all." He flinched inwardly at the awkwardness. He could practically feel it.

A look of slight disappointment passed over the Raichu's face, though he concealed it quickly. "The life of a traveling team can get very dangerous at times, but it's rewarding. We go through dungeons and look for rare items in there. Sometimes, Pokémon drop them or ferals collect them, or the dungeon even creates them on its own."

Blaize spoke up from behind Sterling, thoroughly startling him out of his wits. He hadn't realized that the Charmander was behind him. "Do you fight a lot of strong wild Pokémon in mystery dungeons?" he asked eagerly. "Do you have to battle them for items?"

"Quite often, yes. So we train whenever we possibly can, and that's why we like Newleaf. Lots of Pokémon to buy our stuff, and there's the Dojo to train in. Right, Shade?" the Raichu asked, looking sideways at a Weavile.

"Yeah, yeah, totally right." The Weavile was clearly not paying attention.

"Ignore Shade," the Raichu laughed. "He's just busy. And I am too, really. Pleasure to talk to you two, and I would simply love to continue this conversation, but I don't have any time. How about you run off and play?"

Blaize didn't reply and, apparently, one wasn't required. The Charmander turned back to Sterling with a grin. "Well, that's a trader. Always looking to sell, but friendly enough. Let's move on, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Next, they saw a large building built from worn gray stone. The place was very clearly quiet and peaceful, quite unlike the noisiness of the rest of the town. A few symbols were engraved into a wooden sign in front of it, announcing that this was the Slowking Library.<p>

"Slowking Library," Sterling echoed, half in confusion. "Why would you name a library after a Slowking?"

"The founder was a Slowking. And they're really smart, too. Not like their pre-evolved form at all." Blaize glanced at the library, appearing to be uninterested. "The library can be pretty handy, I guess, but I don't spend too much time in here unless I need to. We might visit it later."

Sterling looked at the quiet building. He wasn't particularly fond of reading, though the books stored within would undoubtedly be helpful in the future.

"It's not entirely boring," Blaize said thoughtfully. "I once picked out two really interesting books. They were about humans who had turned into Pokémon. Though they had amnesia, they saved the world."

"Humans, huh?" Sterling had heard of them before, though he didn't know too much about them.

"Yep. Both of them were really unique and well-planned out. I liked them a lot." Blaize paused, scanning the building, before speaking again. "All right, let's move on." He began walking.

Sterling glanced back at the library before trotting after the Charmander.

* * *

><p>The next place Blaize showed him was another building. It appeared to be fairly quiet, which was a welcome change, though it wasn't like most of the other noticeable places he had seen. It was built from a mixture of wood and stone, and was draped with ivy. However, it was evident from how some of the vines were chopped off that someone had attempted to tame the plants' wild growth.<p>

In front of the building was a large garden, composed of several rows of plants. Some were trees, others were sharp-scented herbs, and some bore brightly colored flowers. A few seemed completely normal, bearing no fruit or flowers. Sterling wrinkled his nose as he examined them, trying to figure out which plant was which.

"This is the apothecary," Blaize announced. "It's run by Miss Chamomile. She's a Lilligant."

"Apothecary? Isn't there a hospital around here somewhere?" Sterling vaguely remembered Blaize pointing one out on the way to the library, though he hadn't elaborated much on it.

"Yep," the Charmander replied, "but it's only used in real emergencies. The apothecary's much easier. Miss Cham doesn't have medicine for bad injuries or sicknesses, so Pokémon mostly come here for small things like colds, little wounds, and even poisoning."

Sterling stared. _"Poison?"_

"Nothing major, just the kind that can be easily healed by a Pecha and Lum berry brew." Blaize shrugged. "I guess poison must have been really bad where you come from. Well, it's fairly common here, seeing as we live with so many poison-types and poisonous plants, and it's not that bad."

"If you say so," Sterling muttered doubtfully. He cast a cautious glance over his shoulder at the apothecary before following Blaize.

* * *

><p>Next was a very busy area that Blaize referred to as "the town square."<p>

Multiple shops were crowded around the edge of the square. Long lines of Pokémon waited outside and within each one, and still more were swarming about the inside, eating food as they walked and carrying heavy bags slung over their shoulders.

"Rescue and exploration teams visit here most often," Blaize explained. "Some of them are traders, a bunch come from distant towns and cities all across the region, and several are students at the Newleaf Academy."

"Newleaf Academy?" That was an unfamiliar name.

"Yeah. We have a sort of school in here to train aspiring rescuers and explorers." Something flashed in the Charmander's eyes. "It's just about every young Pokémon's dream to become one of them, though not many hold onto that ambition as they grow up, and most of those that do don't even pass the entrance exam."

Sterling glanced sideways at Blaize, studying his face. "Did you fail the entrance exam?"

The Charmander laughed sheepishly. "No. I haven't even tried to get in. If you don't have a partner, then one is chosen for you, and I don't want that. Besides… the entrance exam scares me."

"Sounds harsh," Sterling commented.

"I don't know. I know a few Pokémon that go there, and they say it's all right."

At that moment, something large smashed straight into Sterling. The tackle was so unexpected that, for a moment, the Shinx could do nothing but lay there. Then he reached up and bit down hard on his attacker's paw.

"Owww! Ow, ow, ow! What's with you?" howled the culprit, which appeared to be a Poochyena.

"What's with you? Watch where you're going next time, or I'll electrocute you instead of just biting!" Sterling snapped back.

The Poochyena growled at him. "You can try, stupid cat!"

Next to him, Blaize seemed to have encountered similar trouble from a sneering Totodile and a glaring Chikorita, both of which had also attempted to knock him over. "You guys are just awful!" he raged, his tail-flame flaring up.

"Maybe we are – awful at failing at life. Though you're all too good at it." The Totodile crossed his arms. "And aren't failures. We're preparing to take the entrance exam for the Newleaf Academy, unlike _you_." The Totodile smirked. "_Loser."_

"At least, unlike _you,_ I have a brain, _idiot._" Blaize scowled at him. "I bet you three will fail so spectacularly that they'll have no choice but to write it down in the history books, and then everyone will laugh at you and remember you as the world's biggest failures!"

The Poochyena stepped back with a snarl, still glaring at Sterling "Looks like you've got a friend, Charmander. Surprise, surprise – someone can actually tolerate you."

"It's surprising that anyone can tolerate you!" Sterling hissed. "Your smell alone makes me want to run away and never come back!"

To his surprise, found that he already hated this arrogant Poochyena. And it was clear from Blaize's expression that he knew the trio all too well, and disliked them too.

The Poochyena bristled. "Yeah, why don't you? That'd save us all from having to stare at your ugly face!"

The Chikorita spoke up for the first time, her voice cold and annoyed. "Why are we wasting time arguing with them? Let's just get going. We could be training right now." She seemed indifferent, as if Sterling and Blaize were nothing more than nuisances to be ignored.

"Aloe's right. Let's go." The Poochyena shot Sterling one last glare before trotting off, following the Chikorita. The Totodile leered at the two of them and followed after his companions.

"And those are three of the most annoying idiots in the neighborhood, not even deserving of the title 'bullies.' It's a surprise that they think that they can get into the Academy." Blaize glared bitterly after them.

Sterling glowered, too. "They are idiots. If you and me partnered up, we could definitely get in, but I've only known them for about three minutes and I can already tell they're too stupid to do anything right."

It took a moment before he realized that Blaize was staring at him, jaw gaping.

"Do you really mean that, Sterling? That we could both get in together?" There was a kind of desperate longing in the Charmander's voice, as well as sincerity and hopefulness in his face.

_Do I?_

The realization was startling.

"I do," Sterling said slowly.

"Would you… want to?"

_Want to?_

Though it was something he had blurted out in the heat of his anger, it did make some sense to Sterling. He had nowhere to go, nothing to do, and really no place to stay but the inn. Even though joining the Academy would be very impulsive, it would at least give him an occupation until he figured out what to do.

His mother was dead. And though it was painful, there was no bringing her back. His old tribe had killed her, and perhaps he could avenge her death someday, but that day wasn't today. Until then, he had to get stronger and better.

His mother would not have wanted him to rot away without something to do. His father wouldn't have, either. And if Flare had come along…

Flare would have told him to do it.

"Yes," said Sterling. "I would want to." He paused before adding, "We could do it, you know. If you wanted to."

The answer was barely more audible than a whisper. "Of course I would want to. We'd have to prepare first, but… yes. I would love to. It's my life's dream."

And then Blaize said three words that Sterling had never heard before, not from his mother, not from Flare, not from anyone. And they were sincere and truthful, with genuine meaning behind them. They filled the Shinx with an odd sort of warmth.

"Thank you, Sterling."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>_And that's Chapter 4. _

_Sorry for how long it took to update. I restarted my Explorers of Sky and finally got Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which consumed most of my free time._

_I don't plan to take this long again, though. Though my plans never do seem to work out…_

_EDIT: I went back and edited some mistakes I hadn't spotted in the first chapters, as well as editing this one. I added in several parts. It might be a good idea to go back and look at the changes to this chapter._


	5. Dojo Visit

**CHAPTER FIVE**

_**Dojo Visit**_

* * *

><p>The two stood before a massive building made completely from thick, sturdy rock. Even the cracks in the walls were filled in, leaving no room for anything to escape. The entrance was a narrow steel door, which was startlingly heavy and as durable and thick as the rest of the building. It only added to the formidable, menacing look of the place. Everything about it seemed to be made to withstand a siege.<p>

"This," said Blaize, "is the Dojo. Training by yourself is fine, but you really have to come here to do the hardcore stuff. The dojo masters are all members of a famous rescue team. They're retired now, but they still do plenty in their spare time. For example, one of the team partners, Kalazar, is the Academy headmaster."

"I remember that the Raichu mentioned someplace called the Dojo." Sterling stared in awe at the intimidating building. "Arceus, you'd think that this place was build to be a prison for mass murderers or something!"

Blaize looked sideways at him with an amused grin. "Nah. It was built just to be trained in. Newleaf's mostly inhabited by rescue and exploration team members, their family, and their friends, so naturally a dojo was needed. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better one anywhere in the world. There are a couple of good ones, but not like this."

"I bet a Wailord could live in there." The Shinx tilted his head to get a better view of its top.

"Just about. It's rumored that Arceus himself could fit in there – though a couple of attacks would probably shatter the walls." Blaize stepped forward and poked at one of the great stone slabs that made up the building. "Yep, rock-solid. Should we go in now?"

Sterling pricked his ears, listening for noises inside, though the thickness of the walls appeared to make it soundproof as well as attack-proof. "Yeah, let's go."

It took a bit of effort to enter through the heavy steel door. Blaize pulled it open, Sterling pushed against it to hold it in place, and they both bolted inside before it closed on their tails.

Inside, it was actually much less roomy than it had appeared to be from the outside. Most of the space had been taken up by training equipment, such as detailed obstacle courses, wooden posts that were covered with slash marks, and dummies that were barely unrecognizable underneath the burns, cuts, and holes on their surfaces.

There were three large spaces – almost arena-like in appearance – which were evidently used for battling. A Blaziken was fighting a Dragonair in one of them, dodging and striking with expert speed and strength. Sometimes, his claws or feet lit on fire to deliver a vicious punch or kick. The various methods he used defeated the Dragonair quite swiftly.

Just watching filled Sterling with a sense of awe.

"Next," called the Blaziken in a surprisingly rough voice, considering the fierce elegance of his movements.

A Milotic floated into the arena, moving out from a line of other snake-like Pokémon – the beaten Dragonair, a severely burned Seviper, and an Arbok who looked relatively unscathed, but had a pained sort of expression. Looking closer, Sterling could see that the end of his tail had a flurry of claw marks on it.

As the Milotic drifted forward, the Blaziken fixed her with a sharp stare. "Ah… have you worked on your physical combat recently, Azura? I know you prefer to fight from a distance, but using only ranged attacks do not win battles." He sounded like he knew his new challenger well.

Sterling didn't get to hear the Milotic's answer – Blaize had grabbed his scruff and tugged him roughly away. "Don't gawk at the pretty females – they don't even have _limbs, _for Arceus's sake. Now come on. The dojo master's right over there."

Sterling allowed himself to be led over to the dojo master. "I wasn't gawking at _her. _It was that Blaziken that was so fascinating. I mean, seriously – just look at him move!"

"That's Kaizen, the other member of the team. He's an expert with physical attacks, though his fire is definitely something to be scared of too." Blaize's tight grip on his scruff increased, which was very painful . "I was partially named after him, you know. My father was good friends with him."

"Cool story," Sterling offered, not paying much attention. He attempted to wriggle out of Blaize's death grip, but it only hurt him worse.

The Charmander stopped suddenly, pointing, and released Sterling. "There he is!"

An old Lucario appeared to be levitating in front, apparently absorbed in his book and paying no attention to the world around him. Closer inspection revealed that the book was actually a scroll, and an extremely old one at that, and that the Lucario was quite old himself. Some of the fur around his muzzle had turned white with age.

Blaize made a strange jerking motion with the upper half of his body, almost like a twitchier version of a bow. "Master Auriane, we have come to train."

The Lucario waited even longer than the Kirlia in the inn to reply. When he did, his voice seemed distracted. "Young Blaize… you seem excited… and another one I do not know, with guarded thoughts… what a personality you have. I think I quite like you."

The amazing thing was, he hadn't even lifted his head.

"For the sake of the new youngster, my name is Auriane, and I am the leader of Team Never. One of my partners leads the Newleaf Academy and the other runs the dojo here. I prefer to stay here, training those who wish to be trained and meditating." Now he did look up. Instead of ruby-red eyes, his gaze was a cold blue.

"How did you know it was us?" Sterling asked boldly. "You didn't even look up."

Blaize inhaled sharply from beside him. Auriane stared levelly at the Shinx before letting a small smile cross his face. "You are undisciplined, but you have spirit. One without the other will lead to your demise; the two together will lead to a great future. Be warned." He paused. "As for your question, I am one of the few users of aura. I can use aura to fight, read basic emotions, and levitate myself or other objects."

Blaize relaxed. Sterling sensed that he was on safer territory now. "Could you teach us how to use it?"

"Only a few are gifted with the ability to use it – mainly the Lucario and Riolu race, as well as a few rare psychic-types. Both of my partners can use it. Kaizen is one of the few non-psychic-types who use it, and he is the only exception to that rule that I have ever heard of." Auriane's smile faded. "But you are not here to learn about aura. You want to train."

"Yes, sir," confirmed Blaize.

"Yeah. We want to join the Newleaf Academy, so we were wondering if you could help us." Sterling spoke up again, forgetting to be respectful (and not really caring) in his disappointment.

"I can only help you if you help yourself." Auriane abruptly dropped to the ground. "Follow me, demonstrate your attacks, and I will attempt to assist you."

He trotted off towards one of the obstacle courses with Blaize following after. Sterling's gaze strayed to the fight going on between the Blaziken (apparently a lucky aura-user) and, now, all four of the serpentine Pokémon. Kaizen was winning.

"Did he say that his team's name was Never?" Sterling asked quietly.

Blaize gave him a sharp look. "Yeah. You should ask him about it, though. And at least _try _to be respectful! You're lucky he likes you, or else he would've hit you over the head already."

"He did that to you, didn't he?"

Though it was difficult to make out, Sterling was positive that the Charmander was blushing again.

"Come on, we're wasting time," he muttered.

They set off at a fast trot towards the place where Auriane waited.

* * *

><p>The Lucario had lost the slightly mystical quality to his voice and was now speaking sharply and rapidly. "Charmander! Shinx! One at a time, you will cross that obstacle course, attack all foes, and destroy or make it through all obstacles. At the same time, you must do it as swiftly as possible. Do you understand?"<p>

"Yes, sir!" Blaize also seemed to have lost his usual humorous personality.

"Yes… _sir._" Sterling hated being respectful – it reminded him far too much of days obeying orders back in the tribe, where disrespect was one of the worst crimes that anyone could commit and was punished just as severely.

…or something. It involved breaking the "sacred code of law" that governed the tribe.

Auriane evidently noticed his reluctance. Or sensed it. Sterling wasn't sure about the whole aura thing. "You first, Shinx," he barked.

"Oh, Arceus," muttered Sterling under his breath.

Blaize gave him a triumphant smirk as he trotted reluctantly over to the start of the chosen course. It wasn't very long, though there were plenty of obstacles – wooden posts, small walls made of stone, and even severely destroyed Pokémon dummies. And the course itself was an obstacle as well, seeing as the path he would have to take through it was basically a narrow wooden beam that was elevated a few feet off the ground. The scary thing was, it looked very… unsteady.

"What are you waiting for? Go!" roared Auriane.

Startled at the sudden command, Sterling immediately sprinted forward. Running and balancing was extremely difficult, though his four paws allowed him to move more surely. He was focusing too much on placing his feet, though, and ran head-first into a rock wall.

"My nose!" he howled.

"Move on!" the Lucario howled in return.

Sterling stumbled back a few steps before mustering the strength to climb over the wall. He tumbled over the top and promptly fell off the beam.

"Get back on!"

"All right, all right!" Though his reply sounded slightly distorted due to his nose (which, Sterling imagined, was probably smashed flat), he managed to choke the words out as he leaped back on. Regaining his balance wasn't easy, though he was able to avoid another rock wall by looking around him frequently.

Then he approached a post – the first of many. He was already hurtling at too great of a speed to stop, and plowing forward would just be simpler. So he recalled one of the only useful things he had learned back with his tribe and unleashed a Spark attack on the wood at the same time as he tackled it.

It literally shattered into pieces. Several fragments cut into Sterling's own flesh as he bolted forward, though he paid no attention to it – he had to turn a corner now. With tremendous effort, he twisted himself as he ran and managed to turn in the opposite direction.

And there was a wall. He leaped over it with difficulty, pushing off of his hind paws to give him an extra boost, though he ended up having to climb over it.

And so he continued on, occasionally getting yelled at, and basically killing his muscles as he ran and jumped and attacked and (quite often) fell – and all the while, his nose was in extreme pain.

He barely noticed it when he charged off the end of the wooden beam and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. He pawed weakly at his nose. To his relief, it didn't feel very flat, though there was plenty of blood gushing from it.

Blaize rushed over. To Sterling's surprise, he looked more worried than amused – the Shinx had expected teasing and a fit of hysterical laughter.

"Are you okay? Great Arceus, you're bleeding! Ugh, it's brutal, isn't it? I don't think I'll be able to keep my balance as well as you. I hope the entrance exam doesn't involve obstacle courses. We'll surely fail. Right? We will! Oh, Arceus, why did we even do this?" Blaize wailed.

"Shut up," hissed Sterling through what felt like a fog of pain, gasping out the words. "I'll survive… and you'll… do well. Just run on… on all fours… and try not to… light the… wooden beam… on fire."

"If that's your dying wish… no fires, got it." Blaize patted him weakly on the head.

"Hurry _up!" _came the roar.

The Charmander jumped to his feet. "O-okay, sir! Uh – uh, don't die, Ster!" he called, charging for the obstacle course. His tail-flame flickered and flared up, clearly displaying his nervousness.

"_Don't _call me_ Ster," _hissed Sterling into his paws.

* * *

><p>One rather disastrous run later, Blaize collapsed next to him.<p>

"You… broke up those… p-posts pretty well… there was… barely anything left… for me to burn," he gasped into the ground. "Aur… Auriane put them… together again… by using… aura or something… but they were… still in bad shape."

Sterling had long since regained his breath but was still feeling plenty of pain from his nose. "Glad I did a number on those stupid posts. They won't forget me."

"They're… inanimate… objects."

"Well, that's just unfair." Sterling lifted his head, hearing footsteps, and saw both Auriane and the Blaziken from earlier approaching. Kaizen looked amused; Auriane's expression was unreadable.

Kaizen opened a claw and dropped two Oran berries on the ground beside the two Pokémon. "Eat those. They'll restore your energy."

Sterling pawed his berry closer to him and took a few bites out of it. The fruit did seem to refresh him in an odd sort of way, though he certainly wasn't going to be pleased if he was forced to do the obstacle course over again.

Beside him, Blaize's breathing became more normal, and he stopped gasping out each breath.

"You were being nice earlier, Auriane. Why were you acting like such a… jerk?" Sterling asked. A more offensive term would probably end up with him getting "hit over the head."

"He likes acting like a drill sergeant," said the rough-voiced Blaziken. "But he was mostly doing it to push you on. If he'd been putting on his aura-user-knows-all act and kept being pleasant, then you wouldn't have found him too threatening."

Auriane snorted. "_I'm _a drill sergeant? Have you even seen yourself?"

Sterling turned his head to stare at Blaize, who looked equally bewildered. To him, the Charmander mouthed, _What's a drill sergeant?_

"Anyways, you two should probably go for one more run on the obstacle course before leaving." Kaizen sounded businesslike now. "Or we could practice their attacks in a mock fight…"

"Obstacle course. We'll go for attacks tomorrow. They could have a battle with the _other _youngsters." A hint of amusement crept into Auriane's tone. Sterling realized with a dreadful feeling that Auriane's amusement was akin to Blaize's devious grin.

Blaize made a whining noise in the back of his throat. "I don't want to do this again."

"Too bad. If you want to pass the entrance exam to the Academy, then you'll just have to train harder and build up your stamina." Kaizen gave the two a smile that bordered on smug and exchanged glances with Auriane.

Now _that_ looked devious.

"How do you know that we want to pass the entrance exam?" asked Blaize sharply.

"You two don't exactly talk quietly." Kaizen gave him a pat on the head – Sterling watched the Charmander flinch with satisfaction.

"Enough talk. Let's get moving." Auriane's voice had lost its humor. "Go on, Shinx! You first!"

And so Sterling was forced to hobble to his feet, muscles protesting, and do the obstacle course all over again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_You have no idea how much I wanted to put "Cool story, bro." XD_

_It might be a little confusing on how difficult the obstacle course was. Basically, it has a series of obstacles, sharp turns, and you have to run at top speed when you're going along it – not to mention the fact that it's basically a narrow wooden beam that happens to be elevated slightly._

_Plus, Blaize and Sterling aren't very strong and don't have great stamina – Sterling is about level 13, and Blaize is somewhere around level 10-12. They're unused to using attacks as well._


	6. Hidden Pasts

**CHAPTER SIX**

_**Hidden Pasts**_

* * *

><p>Sterling fell into his nest with a thump. The soft golden straw seemed to swallow him up in its warm, sweet-smelling embrace. He was content to just lay there for the rest of his life – or, at least, until the aches and pains in his muscles faded.<p>

Beside him, he could hear Blaize throwing himself onto his own nest. Now Sterling was grateful that they had rented rooms in the inn – they were useful, especially after a long and nasty workout at the Dojo.

Seeing as the group of four serpents had left and Kaizen had no one to train, he had assisted Auriane.

Though they had originally planned to only cross the obstacle course once, they ended up doing it two more times. They had only accomplished _that_ through bribes, of course, but even a free meal of the tastiest fruit Team Never had in their stores didn't really make up for it.

_Team Never. _Sterling remembered questioning the older duo about it. "Why did you choose Never to be your team name? It sounds so… morbid, seeing as you save Pokémon and all that."

Kaizen had laughed, though Auriane had answered seriously. "Even when we were young, we knew that we could never cleanse the world of evil all by ourselves. In fact, it the world will never truly be peaceful, and we did not fool ourselves into trying to believe that. But we knew that, if we helped others, we could at least make an impact."

So while it did sound morbid, it was a very good team name. It had a meaning. Sterling, lifting his head slightly, turned to glance at Blaize. If the two of them ever did get around to passing that entrance exam, they would have to choose a name that _meant_ something.

He groaned into the hay, trying to vocalize all of his soreness and annoyance. "The only thing I'd be willing to do today is sleep."

"We could go to the library. It's not a long walk, and it's quiet." Blaize didn't seem overly enthusiastic about that suggestion, though. Sterling thought he understood. After the action of today, sitting around and reading books would just seem… _boring_, no matter how exciting the books were meant to be.

"No." Sterling rolled over, inhaling deeply. "We should stay here."

Blaize yawned. "Maybe we can talk about… I don't know. Something." It was evident from the sound of his voice that he was too lazy to come up with a topic.

So, naturally, it fell to Sterling to choose one. Luckily, he already had a good topic in mind. "Who were those idiots we ran into earlier? You know – that smelly Poochyena and his Totodile comrade. And the Chikorita."

"They're sort of like bullies, except they're far too incompetent to be considered 'bad'… and, sometimes, they do accomplish some good things. Not often, though. It's a surprise that they want to help out and join the Academy." Blaize growled, a deep rumble in the back of his throat.

"What are their names?"

"Well, Torrent's the Totodile. Aloe's the Chikorita and Farin's the Poochyena. They're all awful." Blaize gave a huff as he said each name. "We've been rivals since we were young. Aloe used to be my friend, but she chose them over me." Anger crept into his tone.

Sterling fell silent, feeling sympathetic for the Charmander. Even though his tribe had hated him, he had always been able to rely on his mother and Flare to cheer him up and help him out.

At last, he said quietly, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. She wasn't worth my time, anyways." Blaize sounded dismissive now – perhaps a little _too _much. He changed the subject quickly. "Hey, Sterling. I've been meaning to ask you something."

"What is it?" Sterling made an effort to roll over and face him. Though his muscles seemed to whine in protest, they worked well enough.

Blaize paused, as if thinking. Then, quietly, he said, "Where did you come from?"

A feeling of shock swept through the Shinx as he lay there, staring wide-eyed at his companion. He did _not _want to answer this question, hadn't expected it. No, that was a lie; he had expected it, just not here, now, and at this time.

It felt like it was far too early to discuss it.

Or was it…?

"Sterling?" Blaize said his name again, gently. "If you don't want to talk about it, then you don't have to."

"No… I'll tell you." Sterling closed his eyes. "It's only fair, if we're going to be friends and work together in a team."

He paused to collect his thoughts, sorting through the memories that assailed him. Few were pleasant, but then the tribe itself had not been. They had hated him for being different.

"Well… my mother was a Luxray and my father was an Absol. They were in love, of course, but my mother already belonged to a tribe. The Luxray tribe of Amp Plains." His heart seemed to skip a beat as he voiced the name of his former prison. "They forbade relationships with Pokémon who were not in the tribe, and especially with those who were different species."

"That's… horrible," Blaize said softly.

Sterling closed his eyes. "Well, my parents had me anyways. My mother wanted to run away, but my father wouldn't let her…"

* * *

><p><em>Rain tumbled from the heavy clouds, pummeling the earth with cold droplets. The grass of the field trembled and wilted<em>_, unable to stand up to the fierce onslaught of wind and water. _

_In t__he storm sat two figures – a Luxray with tired golden eyes and a round, pregnant stomach, and a male Absol whose coat was covered with scars. He paced in uneasy circles._

"_We must run," said the female. Her voice was exhausted, her head bowed with weariness._

"_No. You're too tired to go any further." The Absol spoke strongly, firmly. "You'll damage yourself or our kitten if you continue on." He fixed sharp silver eyes on her. "You'll have to raise our child back in the tribe."_

_Horror flashed across the Luxray's face. She leaped to her feet with a cry of protest. "No! They'll find out, they'll shun us – no, I won't let it happen!"_

"_You will have to. When our kit grows older, you two will be able to leave the tribe and flee with me… but not until then." The male was firm._

_Silence._

_"But..." the female whispered, her voice cracked. She lowered her head again. "But what about us?"_

_"Us?" asked the Absol, looking sharply down at her. His eyes softened as he noticed the change in her._

_"Us. You... and me." She sounded broken and worn. "Us." The word came out as a fragile whisper._

_"Don't worry. __"We'll see each other soon." He stretched out his head, touching his nose to hers. _

_Gold eyes locked with silver. A spark of understanding seemed to pass between the two of them._

_The female took a deep, shuddering breath. Her longing was evident in her words. "Promise?"_

_"I promise." _

* * *

><p>"Except it didn't work out like that. They found out, and they killed my father. We tried to run, my mother and I, but… they caught us then too."<p>

Blaize stared at him. "Who are… _they?"_

Sterling clawed at the hay of his nest. "The five Luxray who lead the tribe, and the one who leads them. Elder Indigo." Hatred crept into his voice as he spoke the name of his mother's killer.

"Was life hard?" asked the Charmander softly, sympathetically.

"Yes. They hated me. The entire tribe despised me, and punished me brutally. But I wasn't alone. My mother was with me, and another Shinx. Flare."

* * *

><p><em>The silver-eyed Shinx cowered, his body covered with the claw marks from his most recent punishment. <em>

_He, along with the other Shinx kittens of the tribe, had been training to see through things. However, he had been unable to, possibly due to his silver eyes. The trainer had punished him brutally, growling out how useless he was._

_The words still stung, like a burn wound that pained him long after it was inflicted. "You're a worthless little brat. You'll never grow up to be anything useful... it's a shame that tribe law prevents us from killing useless creatures like you!"_

_He flinched again, hearing the hatred and disdain in the words, feeling the claws as they dug into his flesh again._

_A soft voice spoke from behind him. "You're not the only one they hate, you know."_

_He whirled, startled, and found himself staring into the eyes of another male Shinx. A normal-looking Shinx, though. This stranger did not have silver eyes. Closer examination revealed that he had an odd reddish tint to his fur, though._

_Was he... different?_

"_Who are you?" he dared to ask._

_Silence._

_The stranger sat, and the sunlight touched his reddish coat. Its light revealed scars there - long, jagged scars. They had come from wounds caused by fangs and claws._

_The fangs and claws of the tribe._

_The silver-eyed Shinx flinched slightly, and the stranger's golden eyes snapped to him. In a quiet voice, he spoke._

"They_ call me the Flareon Shinx. But you can call me Flare."_

* * *

><p>"He had been treated viciously at first, but the tribe just ignored him. Only Indigo had any contact with him – and me. Most of the tribe had given up on trying to break him and make him work for their side, and they feared him."<p>

"Why?" asked Blaize curiously.

"Because he was the son of a Flareon and of a tribe member – a female Luxray. He couldn't use electricity… but he could control fire."

* * *

><p>"<em>They're scared of me because I can burn them."<em>

_They sat together in a circle, crouched in the long grass of the plains. The plants would not conceal them from the eyes of the tribe – the tribe, who could see through objects – but they provided good cover anyways._

_"Burn them," echoed the silver-eyed Shinx._

_For a moment, he was silent, shuffling his paws on the grassy earth. His fur prickled, almost uncomfortably, as he envisioned the Flareon Shinx burning. Burning things, burning the tribe. Just burning._

_The imaginary scent of smoke filled him with fear. He jolted himself out of the daydream._

_"They shouldn't be scared of you. I mean, you can control your fire." He sank his small claws into the earth._

_The Flareon Shinx was quiet for a while. Then, in a solemn voice, he said, "Sometimes."_

_"Sometimes?"_

_"I can't always contain my fire. It never tires, and when it's fed, it wants out." A distant gleam seemed to come into the Flareon Shinx's eyes. "And then things burn..."_

_"You can't control your fire?" There was a note of surprise in the silver-eyed Shinx's voice._

_"I can. But it's a powerful force, and sometimes it gets out of hand." The Flareon Shinx smiled without a trace of amusement. "It's a part of me, you know. And when the flames are kindled... they're unstoppable. I'm unstoppable."_

* * *

><p>"Did something happen to Flare? Is that why he didn't come with you to this place?" asked Blaize.<p>

"Flare didn't want to come. He had been born away from the tribe, you know. They caught up to him, though, and he was scared of them… even though they feared him too." Sterling's tail swished slowly, stirring the hay of the nest.

"Do you miss him?"

It would be better to tell the truth, Sterling decided. "I do. But… he stayed. And you're the one who'll be coming with me."

Blaize watched him in silence for a while. Sterling didn't look at him, not wanting to see the expression on the Charmander's face.

"What happened to your mother?" he asked finally.

"We ran. But Indigo caught up to us." Bitterness crept into Sterling's tone as he relived that scene over again – the elder lunging, his jaws dripping with blood, his mother's body falling to the ground, the sickening noise as the Luxray's fangs pierced her windpipe. "He killed her." His voice sounded hollow. "But I escaped."

Silence. Then, "How?"

"I don't know. I hid in the shadows, and then prayed to get away – it wasn't even a prayer, really – and then I woke up here." Sterling recalled the rush of voices that had assailed him and how abruptly the world had faded from his sight.

He remembered how, despite arriving somewhere completely unfamiliar, he hadn't felt worried about whether or not he was safe. All his anxiety had been about being humiliated for his silver eyes – not about being caught again.

It was such a strange realization that he forced it to the back of his mind. Whatever had snatched him away from Indigo's murderous claws had taken him somewhere safe… or was it? Was this safe feeling just an illusion?

He told himself to stop thinking about it and turned to look at Blaize, planning to ask him about _his _life.

And stopped, unsure of what to say or think.

Blaize was in tears.

They dripped down his face, leaving behind a trail of liquid. But the truly surprising part was the Charmander's eyes. They were big and blue and so filled with emotion that Sterling felt his heart lurch, almost as if in response.

"Oh, Blaize," he choked out. "I'm sorry."

"No… I asked." The Charmander sniffled, then swiped at his eyes with a claw. "It's fine… it's fine, I promise." He attempted a smile, which only looked broken and sad. "I guess you want to ask me about my life, huh?"

"…yes." The word came out sounding strange, as if Sterling hadn't been the one to say it.

"Well, my childhood was normal. My mother was a Charizard, my father a Nidoking. The only really significant things that happened was that Aloe abandoned me for those stupid bullies and that I actually wanted to join the Newleaf Academy." Blaize clenched his claws. "My parents have always let me do my own thing, so that's why I was going to the Pecha grove. I was going to eat some of the Pechas - they're one of my favorite foods. Then I met you, and that didn't happen."

* * *

><p><em>A Charmander walked along a trail that led through the grove. Beneath those branches bowed low with the weight of pink fruit, breathing in the sweet fragrance of Pecha berries, he finally felt at peace.<em>

_This place was home to him in a way that his "real" home never was. His parents were indifferent, and the Chikorita no longer cared. But it felt as if the whispering trees welcomed him, were pleased to see him._

_He began to hum a cheerful tune as he trotted along. Though it was very off-key, he ignored how terribly he was singing._

_There was something about this grove, filled with its tall, welcoming trees and rustling undergrowth, that just made him happy. Even the Pechas seem to taste better here. He stopped at the foot of one of the trees and yanked a berry down._

_He ate it quickly enough and wiped the juice from his chin. The landmarks around here were familiar. He was approaching his favorite spot - a clearing in the middle of the grove, where the Pechas grew most abundantly and even Orans could be found._

_The Charmander broke into a run, shoving aside the undergrowth in his haste to enter the clearing. He emerged into it quickly enough - and was stunned by what he saw there._

_A bundle of blue and black fur, curled in a ball, whimpering under a tree._

_A... Shinx?_

* * *

><p>"I don't regret meeting you, though." Blaize smiled, almost painfully. "I would already choose you over my parents in a heartbeat."<p>

_Parents_. The thought was almost strange. Sterling had never considered the fact that Blaize had parents – or, rather, had never really paid attention to it. And the fact that Blaize's parents didn't care much about him was heartbreaking.

"I visited them last night an hour after you fell asleep. I told them I was staying at a friend's house, and not to expect me for a while." Blaize sighed. "They're good parents and all, but both species are kind of indifferent about their young. In the wild, female Charizard only protect their children until a certain age – which I've passed already – and Nidoking don't even care. It's the Nidoqueen who take care of their young."

"They're not worried about you?" Sterling asked.

"Maybe a bit. Not much. Instincts are hard to control." Blaize cracked a smile again. "I don't mind, really. I've always appreciated the freedom. Though don't expect them to be happy when I tell them that I plan to join the Academy."

That sounded odd – contradictory, in fact. "Why's that?"

"They've never liked my ambition. My father was good friends with Kaizen, but… they don't want me to go into mystery dungeons. There's a common fear of them, you know, and my parents share it."

Sterling did know. Ever since he was very young, he had longed to enter the Amp Plains mystery dungeon, even though it had been forbidden. But his entire tribe – even Flare – hadn't allowed him to even see it. Only his mother, who had once harbored dreams of becoming an explorer like his father, let him get close to it. And even she had been unable to explain the concept of mystery dungeons to him.

"I've always wanted to know more about them," Sterling muttered, half to himself.

Blaize had heard. "Same here. The library has lots of information about dungeons, you know."

"I guess we should visit there later." Sterling sat up. The aches and pains of earlier seemed to have vanished.

"No need to. Not right now, at least. Kalazar – the Academy headmaster – will probably send us there. If we make it in." Blaize paused, uncertainty in his tone.

And now Sterling felt the need to help this Charmander that he had befriended, even protect him. "We _will _make it in, I'm sure of it. After we train at the Dojo, we'll pass the entrance exam – and we'll be amazing." He held out his paw, remembering how often Blaze tended to it.

Blaize took it. It didn't feel like a handshake, or even hand-holding, though. It was a gesture of partnership, of friendship.

"Do you promise it?" he asked softly.

"I promise."

Even when he removed his paw, the feeling of companionship and trust seemed to linger.

* * *

><p>What neither of them knew was that the other had withheld some vital information.<p>

For Blaize, there was a reason that his parents were so indifferent. In fact, any dragoness was fiercely protective of her children, guarding them with her own life regardless of their age. Their maternal instincts only faded when their children wandered off on their own, ready to live a life independent of their parents. And only feral Nidoking were completely uninterested in the life of their children.

As for Sterling, he had not even hinted that there was another reason that Flare stayed behind. A much more important one. A reason that terrified him so much, he kept it hidden from everyone - even himself.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Sorry for the delay. Studying for the midterms left me with little time to write._

…_I'll leave you to ponder the ending on your own!_


	7. Dreams and Battles

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

_**Dreams and Battles**_

* * *

><p><em><em>Sterling's dreams that night were strange and twisted.

The members of the tribe watched him again, their golden eyes filled with identical disgust, their expressions disdainful. He stood before them, cowering as they faced him as one – then Blaize and Flare burst from the crowd to stand next to him. Their figures were translucent and vaporous, however, as if a simple breeze could blow them away.

The crowd parted and Indigo strode forth, his head tilted to the sky. Gone was the white and silver fur that marked his old age. He was young and strong again, more powerful than ever before. He unleashed a mighty roar and three more figures sprang from the crowd.

He recognized them – Farin, Aloe, and Torrent – though they were fully evolved and had a darker, twisted look to them. Torrent, whose azure scales had become a deep shade of indigo – _indigo – _made a noise that was halfway between hissing and growling. He leaped at Blaize.

Sterling gave a cry of fear and anger, trying to attack the demonic Feraligatr, but his efforts were in vain. Torrent batted him aside and lunged at Blaize. As soon as those razor-sharp claws made contact with the Charmander, Blaize's misty form vanished.

Then Farin charged, baring bloodied fangs. Flare shrieked as the Mightyena's jaws closed in around his neck, shaking him vigorously as if he was a toy of some sort. Then he, too, vanished, the smoke-like substance that formed his body disappearing.

Sterling felt a wave of coldness wash over him as Aloe approached. Her eyes were shadowed, the flower around her neck torn and ragged. She stepped slowly, heavily, each movement marking one less second for Sterling to live and breathe and think.

Finally, she was standing right before him.

"Let this be the end," she said in a chilling, ominous voice. Then her eyes flared gold, the same color of the tribe's, and she lunged at him –

* * *

><p>A tantalizing scent broke into his slumber.<p>

Sterling's eyes shot open. For a moment, he stared unseeingly at the ceiling, breathing in that warm scent. Then he leaped to his paws, finding that movement was no longer painful, and looked around wildly.

Blaize was sitting at the table, evidently unaware that Sterling was awake. He was eating something slowly, taking small, careful bites. It was from this object that the wonderful scent was coming from.

"Good morning, Blaize." Sterling yawned as he finished his sentence.

"Did Cresselia bless your sleep?" Blaize asked cheerfully, speaking through a mouthful of food.

"Uh… what?"

"Oh. I forgot you probably don't know about the legends. Blaize swallowed, then took another bite from what he was eating. It appeared to be a pastry of some sort. "Well, Cresselia is one of Arceus's legendary guardians. She holds the power of the crescent moon and sends good dreams. Her counterpart is Darkrai, who has the power of the new moon and sends bad dreams." The Charmander stared curiously at him. "You do know who Arceus is, right?"

"Of course I do." Though it was true that Sterling didn't know much about the legendary gods, he did know about the creator of their world. Arceus was supposed to be the most powerful being in the world, and had created a group of extremely powerful Pokémon to protect the world. It had been one of his creations, the legendary Mew, who made the mortal Pokémon.

…or something like that.

Sterling didn't focus on his lack of religious knowledge, though. Remembering his confusing nightmare, he shivered. "Well, she didn't bless my sleep. I think Darkrai visited instead."

"A nightmare?" Blaize blinked, surprised. "Oh, Arceus! Are you okay? Was it bad? Do you need to talk about it? Do you want to? I'm not pressing you, though. Are you all right, though?"

"I'm fine," Sterling insisted, cutting through the babbling.

Though the dream had shaken him, he was able to push it to the back of his mind. The more pressing matter at hand was their new ambition to join the Newleaf Academy, how to survive the harsh Dojo training, and the threat of the entrance exam.

Hunger qualified as one of those pressing matters. Sterling peered at the pastry that Blaize was chewing on while watching him with concern. "What are you eating?"

"Oh… a Cheri tart." Blaize glanced sheepishly down at it. "I bought it earlier. You were still asleep." He set his pastry down at the table. Looking closer, Sterling could see red filling spilling out of the flaky crust."One of the traders sells baked goods. I got you a Pecha pie."

Sterling angled his round ears toward the Charmander, staring curiously at him. He had never gotten a gift before. What was he supposed to say?

"I figured that you had the hasty nature, so I got you sweet food." Blaize reached behind the fruit bowl and pulled out a pastry, which had been effectively hidden from Sterling's sight. "It's either that or rash nature, I think. Let's see."

Sterling hopped out of bed and onto the chairs, accepting the pie. "Uh… thanks." He stuttered over the word a little. Feeling embarrassed that he was still so awkward, he dug into the pie, trying to hide the flush that burned beneath his fur.

The pie was delicious. The sweet flavor, though not too overdone, was strong enough to dominate most of the other tastes. Not only did the pie crust crunch satisfyingly as he bit down on it, the chunks of Pecha fruit in the sweet filling seemed to squish delightfully under his teeth.

Blaize watched his expression with amusement. "I figured that you'd like it," he commented cheerfully. "I guess that I was right about you having a hasty nature."

Sterling, swallowing his mouthful of food, glanced curiously at him. "What do you mean by hasty nature? And rash, too – you mentioned a rash nature."

"Well, natures are very basic judges of a Pokémon's personality. They're not always too accurate, but they determine some things about the Pokémon itself." Blaize paused. "Well, Pokémon of one nature tend to like and hate the same kind of flavors. Some berries affect them more than others. And their stats – like attack and speed, you know – are affected by it."

"So it's not accurate, but it's important?" Sterling took another large bite, though he continued to eye the Charmander.

"Sort of. It's hard to explain." Blaize frowned. "If we join the Academy, they'll probably tell us more about it. And there are books in the library about natures, though I've never read them."

Blaize seemed to know a lot, though it was evident that he didn't know _everything. _Sterling supposed that only the masters – like Auriane – would have lots of information on those kind of subjects.

Auriane.

The Dojo!

"Blaize!" Sterling leaped to his paws. "The Dojo! We have to go! We might be late and miss our training!"

To his surprise, Blaize didn't look shocked or alarmed at all. In fact, he looked… _reluctant. _Though this was probably only expected, seeing as they had endured so much yesterday, it was still a little surprising.

"Uh… Sterling… I _really _think we should stay away from the Dojo," he muttered.

"No! We can't miss our training! Don't you remember? Team Never said they'd ask Kalazar if he could arrange for us to take the entrance exam next week! We can't afford to miss out!" Sterling was bouncing on his paws with urgency, barely suppressing his impatience.

"Sterling, I'm serious," Blaize insisted.

Sterling was not easily swayed. "We _can't _afford to miss this. Even if training's hard, it'll help us with the entrance exam. Come on! You're the one who wants to join the Academy!"

With a sigh, the Charmander relented. "Fine. But it's not the training I'm worried about."

Now that seemed ominous. "What do you mean?"

"You'll just have to find out."

That seemed even worse.

* * *

><p>Seeing as it was fairly early in the morning, not too many Pokémon were out in the streets. Sterling found this to be a relief – without crowds surrounding him, he felt... almost safer than before. Though he knew that none of them were going to humiliate him for his silver eyes, he still found it worrying to walk among so many strangers.<p>

They arrived at the Dojo just as the sun began to heat up. Now the residents were beginning to leave their houses, heading for various places in town, chatting happily as they went.

"Okay, let's go." Blaize still seemed anxious. He glanced worriedly inside as they entered, going through the same difficult process to open the door.

Sterling rushed into the room inside, pricking his ears when he heard voices. It seemed like there was an argument going on. Then Kaizen interrupted, ordering the unseen Pokémon to be quiet. There was something commanding about his rough voice that immediately shut them up.

Blaize inhaled sharply beside him. "Well… come on."

Casting a confused look at the worried Charmander, Sterling trotted after him. He immediately glanced left as they moved into open view of the Dojo, looking at the area that he had heard the voices from, and was shocked by what he saw.

Kaizen was standing, arms folded, in front of a group of three Pokémon. Though their backs were turned to the duo, Sterling knew exactly who they were.

Farin. Torrent. And Aloe.

First the image of the dream returned to him – all three fully evolved, filled with malevolent darkness. And Aloe – _"Let this be the end…"_

Then he remembered what Auriane had said yesterday.

_We'll go for attacks tomorrow. They could have a battle with the _other _youngsters._

"Oh, Arceus."

This was clearly not going to end well.

* * *

><p>"Ah, it's you two! You're very nearly late!" Auriane strode towards them, holding a leather-bound book in one paw.<p>

At the sound of his voice, the Farin, Aloe, and Torrent immediately whirled to face Blaize and Sterling. The tension between them was practically tangible.

"_You _losers?" asked Torrent with disgust, his eyes narrowing.

"I can't believe the great Auriane actually let these idiots in to train. They can barely put one foot in front of the other, much less _battle. _I bet they failed hard yesterday," Farin scoffed. "In fact, they must've called in the-"

"Be respectful to your peers!" Kaizen cuffed him sharply on the head, though he looked anything but irritated. The look of glee on his face probably meant nothing good. Sterling stared at his expression with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Auriane fixed his cold blue gaze on the Poochyena, who shrunk away. He resumed speaking, turning his eyes to Blaize and Sterling. "As I said, you're very nearly late. I was beginning to worry that you would not come… but you would never shirk your work, as I see." He smiled for some reason.

Blaize glanced nervously at the Dojo master, then with more confidence at their enemies. "You mentioned yesterday that we would be battling. Is that true?"

"Yes, it most certainly is. And, as you probably have guessed, these three will be your opponents." A broad smile grew on Auriane's face, though only for a moment. He was evidently much more skilled at hiding his emotions than Kaizen.

Aloe huffed. With a flip of the leaf that dangled over her eyes, she announced, "Well, they'd better be stronger than they look. I came here for training, not to fight pushovers."

To Sterling's surprise, Kaizen didn't strike her like he did to Torrent. "They are at your skill level, Miss Aloe. It will be interesting to see how they fare against three opponents."

"That's not fair!" Sterling protested. "Three-on-two are hardly good odds!"

"They wouldn't have been good odds if the two of you losers were fighting only one of us!" snapped Torrent. "And it wouldn't have been in your favor!"

Farin and Blaize immediately shouted their opinions. Soon enough, their complaints and insults had escalated into a full-out argument. Sterling felt ready to battle, that was for sure – his rivals seemed to rouse something in him. Something that was eager to fight.

Only Aloe remained silent.

"We're wasting our time," Auriane interrupted, his deep voice cutting through the argument with ease. "Kaizen, lead them to one of the arenas. I think that it would be an excellent time to begin the battle." To the five younger Pokémon, he said, "Make sure to do your best. You may be surprised by the strength of your opponents."

Farin snorted and trotted confidently ahead. Sterling hissed angrily at the Poochyena's arrogance, though he allowed himself to be herded off to one of the multiple arenas.

"Is everybody ready?"

Blaize and Sterling were side-by-side, each on all fours. The fur along Sterling's spine crackled with static electricity, and his claws were out and ready to be used. Beside him was Blaize, whose tail-flame was burning more intensely than ever before.

Directly opposite them were Farin and Torrent, the former with bared teeth and a growl rumbling in his throat, the latter with a confident smirk and claws ready. Aloe's leaf, for once, was not dangling over her face. Instead, it seemed to be stiffer than usual and was held up straight.

"Okay. The battle begins in one…"

Under his breath, Blaize whispered, "Watch out for Aloe's Razor Leaf.

"Two…"

Sterling nodded in reply, his eyes fixed on Farin. The Poochyena smirked at him, twitching his fluffy tail back and forth.

"Three! Begin!"

Immediately, Farin lunged forward. Sterling met his tackle head-on with a Spark attack. The electricity that flowed into Farin's body caused him to yelp in pain and stumble backwards, dizzy and unfocused.

Blaize charged past, skirting Farin and slashing at Torrent. Sterling only had time to glimpse the Totodile retaliating with his own claws raised, glowing with an oddly metallic light, before Farin attempted to attack him again. He dodged the Poochyena's tackle, though not without difficulty.

A sharp leaf rushed straight past his face, grazing the fur. He gave a startled yelp as another stream of sharp leaves were aimed directly at him and attempted to dodge them. However, the razor-sharp projectiles caught him straight in the chest.

Farin tackled him from the side. Just before he went down, Sterling caught a glimpse of Blaize meeting each of Torrent's strikes with his claws glowing white. He overpowered the Totodile easily, sending him sprawling with a blow.

Then Sterling's vision was obscured by a mass of smelly gray fur.

He struggled, hissing, attempting to get Farin off of him. As soon as he began using electricity, the Poochyena leaped straight off – but his victory was short-lived. Another barrage of leaves slashed at Sterling's face.

Then a blinding flash of orange light seemed to illuminate the area. Sterling struggled to his paws, turning his gaze to the stream of flames that were surging from Blaize's open jaws, aimed straight at Aloe. Though Farin seemed just as startled as he was, the Poochyena wasted no time in resuming their battle. A strong Bite attack clamped down on Sterling's shoulder.

Giving a yelp of pain, the Shinx whirled and discharged static electricity through his fur. Farin recoiled slightly but stubbornly hung on, refusing to lose his grip.

As blood welled in the wound, Sterling resorted to more desperate measures. His silver eyes flared momentarily, and he lunged forward with his claws outstretched. Farin gave a startled yelp, noticing that his paws were surrounded by an odd dark aura. He retaliated with an attack of his own.

Though Sterling wasn't quite sure what it was, something hit him in the gut. _Hard. _He gasped for breath, though it was too late to stop the attack. The Night Slash hit Farin between the eyes, and the Poochyena stumbled backwards.

A flash of eerie green light from nearby immediately attracted Sterling's attention. Aloe was flinging her leaf around, which appeared to have emitted that flash of light. Though she wasn't using any more leaves, it was evident that she was preparing for a stronger attack.

Blaize glowered at her, his claws shining white in preparation to counter her next move.

"Move, Blaize!" yowled Sterling, though that was all he had time to shout. Farin tackled him again, though with more force this time, and he met the attack halfway with a Spark.

Electricity flared. Farin, overwhelmed by the energy flooding through his body, toppled to the ground in a dead faint.

Sterling whirled to face Aloe and charged towards their battle, alarmed that the Chikorita hadn't moved yet and that Blaize was holding his ground. He prepared himself for another Night Slash and charged closer – but it was too late.

As if triggered by his sudden dash forwards, some of the earth beneath their paws quaked and trembled. Several rocks managed to unglue themselves from the rock walls and flew straight at Blaze, as well as a few chunks of hard-packed dirt that had been torn from the ground.

"See how you like Ancient Power!" Aloe shouted.

Blaize's face went slack with fear. Neither Sterling nor him had time to prepare an attack before the rocks hit him, throwing him backwards.

"Blaize!" Sterling shrieked, his voice becoming high-pitched in his terror. The sight of the limp Charmander confirmed his fears, though.

_Blaize is dead._

The thought was horrifying. Shocking. Numbing.

_Blaize is dead. Blaize is dead. Blaize is dead._

He turned his gaze to Aloe. His sight seemed oddly foggy.

_She killed him._

She_ killed Blaize. She must be punished._

Voices whispered in his ears. Blurry. Faint.

Hungry.

"_Attack." _The command came as a hoarse hiss, which could barely be heard over the rush of voices whispering, whispering.

Aloe stared at him, her eyes growing wide with terror.

"_Yes, fear me." _He smiled.

Then _they struck her._

A wave of darkness. Voices hissing with delight. Then the Chikorita let out a scream of panic and tumbled backwards.

Laughing.

Was it him? Was it those voices?

His vision seemed to flicker, became fuzzy.

Still laughter. Where was it coming from?

He stumbled forward, wobbling uncertainly.

Then his paws collapsed. They could not, would not hold his weight.

And then the world dissolved into darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Sorry that this chapter took so long. I was writing a PMD oneshot, as well as trying to keep up with my schoolwork, but I managed to make this one half-decent._

_By the way, some of the moves that the battlers were using would be impossible to learn normally – but, seeing as they all have parents of mixed species, I gave them egg moves. For example, Sterling knows Night Slash, Aloe used Ancient Power, and Blaize knocked Torrent out with Counter._

_I really hate the ending – it's so hard to write in that broken style. But at least it's a cliffhanger. :D_


	8. Storms

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

_**Storms**_

* * *

><p>A small body lay crumpled in the dirt.<p>

An old Lucario watched over it, examining the fallen Pokémon with great care, his expression perfectly calm. His eyes did not betray the shock he felt, and the quick, precise movements of his paws showed nothing of the emotions that conflicted within him. He looked for serious injuries and found none – at least, nothing of the physical variety.

Warily, he reached out with his mind to touch the limp body's aura. To his relief, the whispering blackness that had surrounded Sterling's aura was gone, as well as the ice blue color of those eyes. It seemed as if the terrible rage had left this poor young Shinx – though for how long?

He took a series of deep breaths in an attempt to calm his conflicted mind and sat back. "The Shinx is alive." He was surprised at how steady and calm his voice was.

"Blaize, get some Oran berries," Kaizen instructed. "They're over there." He gestured at the door that led to the dojo's storage room, though he kept his eyes fixed on the little Shinx.

The Charmander nodded silently and strode off. Auriane glanced at his tail-flame and was stunned by how dim it was. Had the Chikorita really hit him that hard, or was he simply stunned by the rage that had overtaken Sterling?

He looked sideways, scanning the weary battlers. Both Torrent and Farin were silent, staring quietly at the ground. Blaize was walking slowly, head bowed. Aloe just chewed on an Oran berry, her leaf dangling over one side of her face.

And then there was Sterling. He looked so fragile and weak – most unlike how he had been earlier. The way his eyes had gleamed and turned blue, the way he had spoken, and the arrival of that whispering, whirling blackness that had shrouded his aura…

There was no doubt about it.

Suddenly feeling cold, Auriane turned to face Kaizen. His partner looked at him inquisitively, asking him a simple, horrible question with his eyes?

_Was it?_

Slowly, almost painfully, Auriane nodded.

_Yes._

* * *

><p>He woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth and softness all around him. His muscles felt a little achy, though nothing was really painful. The only thing that mattered to him right then was where he was. It certainly wasn't the Dojo.<p>

He inhaled deeply, trying to detect the scents of his surroundings, as well as those belonging to the Pokémon around him. Though there were unfamiliar smells in the air, though there was one that he recognized almost immediately.

He sat up slowly, wincing at the ache in his muscles, and looked around. Though his vision seemed to be oddly fuzzy, he could make out the shapes of Pokémon standing nearby, as well as the general appearance of the strange room he was in.

A stranger spoke in a rough, stern voice, startling him thoroughly. "Good. You've awakened." This Pokémon sounded male. "Tell me, Sterling – how do you feel?"

Sterling didn't reply at first. He was staring with disbelief at one of the Pokémon in the room – a Charmander.

"Blaize?" he whispered.

"It's me." Blaize nodded, a relieved grin spreading across his reptilian face. "I think he's okay, Headmaster."

_Headmaster?_

Sterling turned, looking curiously at the stranger who had spoken to him. His vision was beginning to clear up, and he could now tell that the male Pokémon was an Alakazam.

"Oh, yeah – I, uh, I'm fine." He stumbled over the words, unsure of how to react. Either this Alakazam was a headmaster from a different place, or he was no other than Kalazar – part-time trainer at the Dojo, member of Team Never, and leader of the Newleaf Academy.

"We were very worried about what happened to you, Sterling," Kalazar said gravely. "Though you are clearly not dangerous unless you want to be, both Auriane and Kaizen have requested that I keep an eye on you."

"D-dangerous?" Sterling gaped openly at the Alakazam. What had he done that was dangerous?

Blaize glanced uncertainly at him, looking unsure of what to say. He eventually stared down at the floor, his tail-flame flickering oddly.

"Do you remember what happened to you earlier at the Dojo?" Kalazar asked.

Of course he did. He remembered fighting their rivals clearly. It would have been a satisfying memory had he not thought that Aloe had killed Blaize.

Then a vaguer memory came to mind – of laughter and hissing voices.

"Yeah," he muttered.

"Do you remember what you did to young Miss Aloe?"

Blaize flinched visibly. "Headmaster, I'm sure –"

The Alakazam turned to stare coldly at him. "I don't recall asking for your opinion, Blaize," he said in a voice that was downright frightening.

"I do remember! I heard things!" Sterling interrupted loudly, trying to get Blaize out of trouble. He didn't want to get Kalazar angry at the Charmander for defending him.

The headmaster glanced sharply at him. "Yes."

"So – what was it?" he asked, trying to keep Kalazar's attention away from Blaize.

"That, I have been forbidden to tell you," the Alakazam responded slowly, his voice suddenly growing soft. "But it can become extremely dangerous. Though you showed a… certain amount of control over it earlier, Auriane is still worried. You must stay here."

Sterling glanced past the headmaster, his gaze locking onto Blaize's. Identical hopes were mirrored in their eyes. If they were forced to stay at the Academy, where Team Never could keep an eye on them… maybe, just maybe…

A broad grin spread across Kalazar's face. "Yes, you may join the Academy."

Though Blaize literally jumped for joy and cheered, his tail-flame growing even larger in his delight, Sterling stared suspiciously at the Alakazam. "How did you know what we were thinking?"

"I'm a psychic -type. All psychics, with sufficient training, can – as it is commonly known – 'read minds.' However, the name is not accurate. We can only see the thoughts that are currently on someone's mind. Only truly skilled psychics and ghosts can actually read minds," Kalazar explained, giving the Shinx a smile. "I am one of those, though I refrain from seeing your inner thoughts. Besides, Auriane and Kaizen both informed me that you would like to join the Newleaf Academy."

For a moment, Sterling glared cautiously at Kalazar. Then elation overcame the suspicion and he leaped into the air, just as delighted as Blaize. Though it hadn't always been his dream, he had suffered through a lot of hard training so he could join the Academy. Finally, _finally, _all of that work was going to pay off!

His old life was far behind now. All that mattered was his future. Though he was uncertain about what would happen, he was confident that he would be able to overcome any challenges with Blaize at his side.

"Wait a moment."

Sterling stopped hopping up and down and stared curiously at Blaize.

The Charmander looked thoughtful, and was looking almost curiously at Kalazar. "What about the entrance exam? I've heard about it before. Some say it's hard, and others say it's easy, though no one ever tells me the specifics." A hint of anxiety entered his tone.

For some reason, Kalazar began to laugh.

Seeing the old Alakazam look so amused made Sterling feel quite the opposite. In fact, he became more worried the more Kalazar laughed.

He exchanged bewildered glances with Blaize. Was this exam really so amusing? Was it hard, or was it easy?

A chilling thought struck him.

Did it even exist at all?

"Ah, young ones. I see that my partners were playing a trick on you." Kalazar regained his composure shortly, though the broad grin on his face hadn't faded. "They both have a sense of humor – especially Kaizen."

Blaize groaned. "There isn't an entrance exam, is there?"

"No, there is – you passed it, in fact." Kalazar's smile widened, and he positively beamed down at the befuddled duo. "Your battle against Team Victory was the exam, you see. I imagine that Auriane and Kaizen didn't tell you about it to see how well you fought without any incentive."

"Team Victory?" echoed Blaize in confusion. Sterling was equally as bewildered – he didn't recall fighting any other team.

"The three Pokémon you fought – Farin, Aloe, and Torrent – formed Team Victory."

"Well, we had enough incentive – the satisfaction of beating those arrogant idiots," Sterling announced with pride. "Even their name sounds conceited."

"No, not really. They put a surprising amount of thought into their name, unlike a few that I've heard of before." Kalazar snorted. "Team Flying Water Lilies… I feel sorry for the members of that team. Though they eventually changed their team name, they still went through a lot of teasing…"

_Team Flying Water Lilies? _Sterling turned to stare, open-mouthed, at Blaize. The Charmander gave him an amused look. "No worries, Headmaster. We won't name our team anything ridiculous."

"I would expect no less." Kalazar nodded to them, a distant look coming into his eyes. "Team Victory signed up just a few hours ago, and they've mostly been exploring the Academy, so they don't have much of a head start on you. But if I know anything about rivalries, you don't want them to have any head starts… so you can register your team with me."

"Uh – okay." Blaize stood up straighter. "Sterling, what should we name our team?"

"We should base it off of our goal and what we're doing this for and everything," the Shinx answered, narrowing his eyes in thought. "Well… we'll be relentless, won't we? Never backing down or giving up, right?"

Blaize nodded. "Right. But don't forget the part about us helping. We'll explore, but we'll help save other Pokémon in trouble."

"Yeah. Nurturing, almost, but striking down our foes too." Sterling shuffled his paws, deep in thought. He was unaware of Kalazar watching the two of them with interest. "Like lightning… taking down evil…"

"And water… nourishing the land." Something seemed to flash in Blaize's eyes, and he broke into a huge grin. "I've got it, Sterling! I've got it!" His tail-flame flared, displaying his delight.

Surprised at his friend's excitement, Sterling stared at him. "What is it?"

"We'll be the lightning, striking down evil, but we'll also be the rain, bringing life! And we'll be so great one day that our enemies' hearts will race, like thunder!" Blaize was practically shouting now, his eyes shining. "We'll be relentless until we meet our goals! And it fits with our types in a way, too!"

"What is it?" Sterling actually took a step back, flattening his ears against his head in an attempt to block out the volume of the shouting. "What is it already?"

"Kalazar, we'll be Team Storm!" Blaize beamed.

Kalazar's eyes seemed to mist over as he looked down at the Charmander, as if recalling past memories. Sterling, however, was not paying attention to either of the two Pokémon.

A chill ran through him.

_Team Storm._

Storm had been his father's name.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_This chapter was really hard to write for some reason. I had major writer's block here…_

_Team Flying Water Lilies is actually an inside joke between a couple of my friends and me. We were joking about what kind of team we would be on if we were Pokémon. I was a Starly, my friend was a Mudkip, and my other friend was a Bulbasaur. Believe it or not, no Lotads there. XD_

_Kalazar's random mood changes were intentional. Because of his psychic abilities, his emotions are actually influenced by those of others around him._

_By the way, guys - thanks for the 400+ hits! In fact, there are _exactly_ 430. That's shocking, considering the fact that, the last time I checked (around Chapter 2, actually) there had only been around 40 of them. _


	9. The Newleaf Academy

**CHAPTER NINE**

_The Newleaf Academy_

* * *

><p>"Storm."<p>

Kalazar muttered the word, a hint of emotion flickering in his dark eyes. He seemed to stiffen before he turned to face Sterling, looking away from the excited Charmander with something like a somber expression. "What do you think, Shinx? Is Storm an acceptable name?"

Blaize turned too, though the eager expression melted off his face as he noticed Sterling's expression. "Wh…what's wrong? It seems like a perfect team name."

_I have to put my past behind me. _Sterling frowned and shook his head. "Nothing, it's fine. Storm's a great name. It fits us perfectly." He smiled unconvincingly.

The Charmander gave him a suspicious look before turning back to Kalazar. "Uh… yeah. We'll be Team Storm." His previous elation was completely gone, it seemed. Sterling felt a twinge of guilt for ruining his friend's good mood.

"All right, then." Kalazar regained his composure. "I'll register you two right now – but, before I go, I should really call in a guide, shouldn't I?"

"Guide?" echoed Sterling, making an effort to sound upbeat.

"Yes. I can't have you wandering around, all lost, can I?" asked the headmaster with amusement. "Registration is simple, and I would feel bad for dragging you all the way to my chambers just to give me your team name and species."

Blaize shrugged. "I'm sure it wouldn't be _that_ bad, Headmaster…"

"No, no." Kalazar waved a paw at him, almost as if he was batting away the Charmander's reply. "I'll bring Team Guardian up here; they're fairly new as well, and I'm sure the two of you will like them."

He closed his eyes, as if concentrating. Sterling pricked his ears, trying to hear what he was doing, but no sound came from the immobile Alakazam.

Eventually, Kalazar opened his eyes again. "All right. They're coming."

"Who's coming? You didn't do anything!" Sterling pointed out.

Blazie rolled his eyes and placed a paw on his shoulder. The Shinx stiffened at the unexpected contact, though he relaxed quickly enough. "Seriously, Sterling – the Headmaster's a psychic-type. Mental telepathy must be really easy for him."

"It's easy enough when the Pokémon you're contacting is a psychic as well. Other types, though – especially dark and ghost – can be very difficult to speak to," Kalazar corrected. "But enough chat – they're coming right now."

Mere moments after he finished his sentence, the door on the far side of the room opened and a rather familiar Pokémon stepped through – a Kirlia. She was followed by what appeared to be a fox with six tails. _Vulpix. _Sterling remembered the name from a story he'd heard from his mother.

"These must be the newbies!" the Kirlia exclaimed, her eyes shining as she looked at them. "Wow, how wonderful – two new teams in one day!"

"I'm Ariana, and this is Lyre!" the Vulpix chirped, bouncing on her paws. "It's so great to meet you! You guys look a lot nicer than Team Victory. We'll be great friends, I know it! Welcome to the Newleaf Academy!"

She talked so fast that it was hard to keep up. There was something about her that made Sterling feel happy, though – maybe it was how genuinely friendly she looked, or how eager she was to meet them. And Lyre looked delighted to see them as well.

"I'm Blaize, and this moody Shinx here is Sterling. I call him Ster, though." Blaize had warmed up to the girls already.

"Don't call me _Ster," _Sterling grumbled.

Kalazar spoke, thoroughly startling the four Pokémon. Both of them had already forgotten that he was there. "I'll leave you here now. Make sure to show Team Storm all around the Academy, all right? Don't leave out any important places – such as the cafeteria." He winked at the females before leaving the room.

"Cafeteria?" Sterling perked up immediately.

Blaize grinned at him. "You _would _get all happy-happy at the mention of food."

"Don't pretend like you're not a glutton as well," scoffed Sterling. He made as if to pounce at the Charmander before halting suddenly, surprised by the outburst of laughter coming from the girls.

"What? What is it?" Blaize asked, completely bewildered.

Lyre regained control of herself, though she still wore a massive smile. "You two remind me of my sister! I argue with her like that all the time!"

"And you're so _funny! _I mean, just look at you two! Whenever I argue with someone, I just end up torching them!" Ariana giggled.

Despite that somewhat worrying statement, the Vulpix seemed to be kind enough. She stepped forward, waving her six curled tails, and smiled happily at the new Team Storm. "Well? What are we waiting for? It's time to explore the Academy!"

* * *

><p>"So this is one of the guest rooms," Lyre said, sweeping her arms in a vaguely circular motion. "They're not used too often, but they're useful."<p>

"Let's go on – this place is bo-ring," Ariana said, bouncing a bit on her paws. "Besides, there's so much to see!"

They exited the small room and emerged in a much larger one, though there was hardly any illumination here. It was dark, making it hard to see, though it was clear that a long staircase descended from the floor. The steps appeared to be made of stone.

Sterling peered worriedly down at them, though Lyre and Blaize were already stepping confidently onto them. Ariana bounced ahead, multiple tails high in the air.

"Don't be scared, 'fraidy cat," chirped Ariana. Then she giggled again – a high, cheery sound. "Oops, I forgot! You are a cat!"

Lyre glanced back over her shoulder. "Don't mind Ari. She's a bit of a handful." She flashed Sterling a reassuring smile before descending a few more steps.

Sucking in a breath, Sterling tentatively placed a paw on one of the stairs. It held beneath his weight. He began to step down with growing confidence, though he still held his tail out straight behind him – he found that it helped him keep his balance.

Blaize was chatting with Lyre ahead of him. "So you say that your sister is Stella? Are you two the same age or what?"

"Stella's older than me," Lyre replied, floating almost daintily down the steps. "She doesn't want to evolve, though, so she's still a Kirlia. She wants me to work with her in the Inn, but I like this life better. It's rewarding, you know?"

"Of course it's rewarding! You get prizes for completing missions, you know!" came the chirpy voice of Ariana from somewhere below them.

Sterling picked up his pace, not wanting to be left behind. He opened his mouth to inquire what those prizes were, but Blaize beat him to it. "Really? What kind of stuff do you get?" He paused, as if embarrassed. "Not that I want to be greedy or anything, but -!"

"I understand completely! It's nice knowing what you can get as a reward for a fun job like this," Lyre replied cheerfully. "Well, we mostly get money rewards. Some poorer clients give berries or seeds, and a few even give treasures in return."

"Treasures?" Sterling pricked his ears.

"No, not for missions!" Ariana corrected. "Just for treasure-hunting."

"Speaking of missions… the job room is just through here." They had finally reached the end of the long staircase. Lyre stepped forward, pointing at a heavy wooden door.

Blaize glanced up at Sterling. "You coming?"

The Shinx tensed his muscles, then gave a great leap and skipped the next three steps. He landed somewhat awkwardly, though still on all fours.

"Okay. Come on in," Lyre said, opening the door with enviable ease.

* * *

><p>They entered the next room in single file, following a chipper Ariana. It was much brighter than the previous one, illuminated by light that streamed through windows – as well as from the flame of a candle-like Pokémon, who drifted beside a silver bird and what appeared to be a baby dragon.<p>

"Hi, hi!" Ariana bounded forward to greet them.

While she was engaged in conversation, Sterling took the opportunity to look around. The room looked similar to the small one he had woken up in earlier, with walls made from somewhat cracked stone. Vines crisscrossed across its surface, adding color to the area.

Closer inspection revealed that there were four great slabs of wood on each wall. Though each appeared to be covered with paper, what was on the papers varied. One board was covered entirely with writing. Another seemed to be dedicated to photographs with short captions. The other two appeared to be a mix of both words and pictures.

"So you're the new team, huh?"

A voice cut into Sterling's thoughts. He jolted visibly, startled, before turning to face the speaker – the silver bird that had been looking at the picture-covered board. The bird actually looked metallic, with steely feathers and sharp eyes.

"Uh – yeah. We're Team Storm," Blaize replied, thankfully saving Sterling from the embarrassment of just staring.

"I'm Skaris, leader of Team Fidelity. This is Raze, and that candle-thing over there is Flissiere. She prefers that we call her Flis, though," the Skarmory said, speaking in a voice that even sounded metallic.

"Candle-thing? I'm a _Litwick." _Flis didn't seem annoyed, though, as if she was used to the bird's teasing.

"Team Fidelity joined around the same time as us!" Ariana announced, her tails waving. "They're a really great team."

"Don't be modest, Ari." Flis smiled, managing to look surprisingly happy despite the general expressionless look on her face. "Team Guardian is very good as well. We expect that you two will turn out great, like us!"

Blaize jumped immediately back into friendly mode. "How could we not? The Newleaf Academy only teaches the best of the best, of course. We'll turn out to be the best one day."

"With our help, you might even be as good as us." Skaris spread his metallic wings, amusement in his voice.

"Better!" Sterling shot back challengingly, a glint in his eye.

Raze spoke for the first time. His voice sounded harsh – even deep – but it was fairly friendly. "I'd like to see you try." He grinned.

"Let's not start rivalries already," Lyre groaned.

"Too late. We're already competing with Team Victory," Blaize informed her with a smirk.

"Ooh, really? That Aloe girl seemed really good – I don't know if she's going to be easy to beat in any way," Flis said.

"Guys! We can chat later. We have a tour to finish," Lyre grumbled.

Skaris flapped his wings again, effectively drawing all attention to him. "We can help with that right now – then we'll leave you alone. This is the job room." He swept his wings in a vaguely circular motion. "The Academy students come here to select missions from the bulletin boards."

"Yeah." Flis picked up from there. "The one we're looking at right now is the outlaw board. All of the Pokémon on it are outlaws that we're supposed to apprehend. They're not all evil – some are just weak thieves – so even newbies like us can take them on." She made a sound that vaguely resembled a snort; it was hard to tell with talking candles.

Ariana bounced on her paws. "Some outlaws can be really strong, though, so you should ask an older member before you choose!" she announced.

"Outlaws?" murmured Sterling in alarm, turning to face Blaize.

The Charmander nodded. "Outlaws, yeah. They're mostly thieves who break the law, and it's the job of Pokémon like us to catch them."

Lyre opened her mouth to speak, but Skaris cut in. Sterling was beginning to get the feeling that he and Flis were doing this to annoy her. "But students like us don't just catch thieves. See that board over there?" He gestured a silvery wing at it – it was one of the mixed ones, covered with both pictures and writing.

"That's the normal job bulletin board," Raze growled.

"You'll see it so much, it'll haunt your dreams," Ariana announced ominously.

Lyre tried to speak again, but Flis quickly spoke up. "Even the best teams normally take missions from there. It's got stuff like item-retrieving, item-delivering, escort missions, rescuing lost Pokémon… the list goes on and on."

"_I think I'll talk now, thank you very much." _Lyre seemed to be speaking, though her voice wasn't audible. Sterling flinched, realizing that she was using telepathy.

"Don't take too much offense, we're just playing." Flis beamed at her – an oddly eerie sight.

"_Too late," _grumbled Lyre's psychic voice.

Sterling winced, hearing it again. It was bad enough having to deal with his _own _mind – listening to someone else's was just not fair.

Skaris also seemed to dislike the telepathy. "Do us all a favor and talk like a normal Pokémon, okay?" he muttered, somehow managing to twist his beak into a frown.

"_Don't interrupt me, then." _

"We won't!" Ariana waved her tails.

"No guarantees," Raze muttered to Blaize and Sterling. They both grinned.

Lyre shot a glare at the Gible before speaking aloud. "See the other bulletin board that has lots of pictures on it? That's the treasure-hunting one. If anyone hears rumors about special treasures, or asks you to escort them on a mission to find them, or even requests a delivery of some rare item, it's on here."

"Ooh, treasure." Blaize's eyes seemed to glitter as he looked at the board.

Sterling nudged him playfully. "And to think that you claimed _I _was too happy about food."

"Ever heard of the Golden Apple?" Flis interrupted with a smirk.

Sterling turned to face her, ears pricked. He was aware of Raze looking amused out of the corner of his eye, though he chose not to pay too much attention to it.

"Well, it's a fabled treasure. It's rumored to be a huge apple that is actually gold in color. Some legends say that it tastes so amazing, some Pokémon will kill just to get a –"

"_Enough _with the teasing." Lyre rolled her eyes. "Let's move on."

Ariana took over from there, hopping over to the next bulletin board. "That's the communications board! You can put notices here, or notes to others, or important news or whatever! It's really useful. Look – Kalazar's already got your name on here."

Sterling trotted closer to get a better look at it, followed by Blaize. It was true – a large paper announced in bold letters that a certain Team Storm had joined the Newleaf Academy and was ready to begin training.

"I feel_ so_ loved." Blaize stared critically at the paper, his eyes fixed on what appeared to be a picture of the two of them. "I look diseased there…"

"How in Arceus's name did Kalazar photograph us?" Sterling demanded.

Blaize had told him about "photos" earlier. Apparently, Pokémon could use strange tools to capture images and preserve them. The technology used to capture those images was apparently created by humans, and some "scientists" had modified it.

Skaris laughed – a mix between a squawk and a scraping-clanging noise – and Ariana giggled. Lyre just looked triumphant. "Psychics are pretty cool, you know. We can use our minds to take images. It's a complicated process, but we can get it on paper."

"This is starting to hurt my eyes," Blaize announced, dramatically turning away from the paper. "Can we move on now?"

"Yeah!" Ariana replied, the tips of her tails curling with what appeared to be delight. "There's so much more to see! Bye, Skaris, Flis, Raze!"

"See you later, Ari," Flis called.

* * *

><p>The next room they visited was a massive one, filled with Pokémon. Between the various windows all along the walls, there were several doors that branched off into other hallways. Some looked very heavy, making Sterling wince inwardly.<p>

"This is the cafeteria, but we mainly refer to it as the Main Room, Main for short," Lyre announced. "See all of those tables? They're pushed all to the side because lunch has been over for a while now, but it still smells like food."

Sterling tilted his nose into the air, inhaling deeply. It was true; the room did smell amazing, though like no other food he had smelled before. Though he could distinguish the scents of berries and meat, they were overwhelmed by different, more unfamiliar smells.

"The kitchens are over there," Ariana announced, gesturing with a tail at one of the doors. "I'd show you around, but the cooks really hate that!"

"Oh, they cook the food?" Sterling asked with interest.

Blaize rolled his eyes. "Come on, Ster. Just because you eat things raw doesn't mean the civilized world has to." He flashed the Shinx a grin to take the sting from his words.

"Do _not _call me that," Sterling whined.

"Ster! Ster, Ster, Ster!" Ariana chanted in a singsong tone, waving her tails.

"_Enough,_ you three," Lyre groaned, though with a trace of playfulness in her tone. "We have to complete the tour, don't we? Blaize, Ari, don't annoy anyone, okay?"

Sterling flashed the Charmander a smirk, lifting his tail into the air with triumph. "So what's next to see on this grand tour?" he asked.

"A lot, but I should really finish what we're doing here first," Lyre told him dryly. "So this is the Main, or the cafeteria. Just about everyone gathers here after their missions to hang out, tell stories, and talk with others. The headmaster even joins us sometimes."

"Yeah! Kalazar's really wise, and he has _lots _to say!" chirped Ariana.

Blaize looked around, his tail-flame flickering a bit in his excitement. "Just look at everyone, Ster. There are some powerful Pokémon in here, I bet. And look – Team Earthquake! They're one of the more famous teams!"

Sterling glanced ahead and noticed the four great Pokémon that were gathered around one of the tables – a Nidoqueen, an Aggron, a Tyranitar, and a Rhyperior. They were huge, and seemed to give off a distinct aura of power.

"That Aggron is Ardon, the second-in-command," Blaize said, eyes wide. "And Tremor and Rhyor, the Tyranitar and Rhyperior. And there's Nettle, the Nidoqueen – she's _amazing. _Unlike most Pokémon that excel in physical combat, she's got brains as well as brawn."

"Nettle's really nice," Ariana added. "If you went over, she'd be happy to talk to you."

"Ah – no thanks." Blaize backed up.

Though Sterling remembered how friendly the Raichu trader had been, he was also reluctant to chat with the massive Nidoqueen. "We're good," he said awkwardly.

"Awww," whined Ariana.

"No, Ari, it's okay." Lyre patted Blaize on the shoulder, making him flinch a bit. "They can have a nice long chat later." She flashed the Vulpix a smile that was downright devious before moving on. "Okay, let's go to the infirmary."

* * *

><p>The infirmary was a fairly wide room filled with all sorts of beds. Only a few were occupied – a Cacturne lay in one, a long, jagged wound running down the length of his arm, and a Seviper was coiled awkwardly in another. A Chimecho drifted anxiously before the Cacturne.<p>

"This is the infirmary. If you're injured during a mission, then you'll stay here to get healed. Those with more serious damage get sent to the hospital." Lyre pointed at the Seviper. "That's Toxin of Team Serpent. I believe he was badly paralyzed earlier." Then she turned to the Cacturne. "That is Raonix, leader of Team Desert. The Chimecho is Lyricial, also known as Lyric. She's a member of Team Desert."

"Hello, Lyre." The Chimecho spoke in an oddly musical voice, turning to face the group of four with a somber expression. "You two must be Team Storm… I saw the announcement on the communications board. Welcome to the Newleaf Academy."

Sterling nodded awkwardly in response, though Blaize replied cheerfully. "Hi, Lyric! I've heard of Team Desert before. You guys are really awesome. What happened to Raonix?"

Now it was the Cacturne who spoke. "Scyther outlaw," he mumbled.

"We weren't able to apprehend him," Lyric said worriedly. "Team Earthquake is going to face him next. I hope they don't get hurt…"

Then a loud voice cut into their conversation. "You four! Out, out! You are aggravating my patients! Unless you are here to comfort them or help out, then leave this room at once!"

A Leafeon was trotting towards them, looking annoyed. Her voice was surprisingly loud for such a delicate-looking Pokémon.

"Hi, Vale! We were just showing these two around!" Ariana chirped, unafraid of the Leafeon's wrath. "They're new to the Academy, just like the three that joined earlier. We'll be out of here soon enough, I promise!"

Vale angled her leafy ears towards the Vulpix, her amber eyes thoughtful. "Well, welcome to the Newleaf Academy, then. I do hope not to see you in here, though I don't doubt that I will, in the future."

"She's referring to you getting injured," Lyre clarified.

"We'll be going now, Vale!" Ariana announced brightly before turning around. Lyre hastily opened the door and she squeezed through, tails high.

Sterling exchanged a glance with Blaize before following after.

* * *

><p>"That was Vale. She works with Chamomile at the apothecary in town. I've heard that she comes down here to help, though," Blaize informed Sterling.<p>

Lyre nodded. "Yes, she does, and she's very helpful. But enough with that – we should be showing you the students' quarters now."

"Students' quarters?" echoed Sterling.

"Yeah! You can't expect us to just sleep outside, can you?" Ariana replied with a grin, trotting forward with a definite spring in her step. "It's bad enough doing that on long missions without having to do it every night!"

Something seemed to flash in Blaize's eyes. Sterling glanced curiously at him, though the Charmander concealed the emotion quickly.

"Your room is through this hallway." Lyre squeezed past an Arbok and opened a large wooden door. "You two should be able to find it yourself – the rooms have team names on the doors."

"You're not coming with us?" Blaize asked in alarm.

"Nah! We'll leave you two alone to get settled in your new home!" Ariana chirped. "But, no worries, we'll see you at dinner! Team Fidelity will be there too, so we'll definitely see you again."

Lyre smiled at the Charmander's expression. "Just go on. It won't be as bad as you think it is."

Sterling trotted through the open space and into the hallway, sensing an opportunity for some teasing. "Don't be a '_fraidy cat." _He cast a grin at Ariana before continuing down the hall.

"Look who's talking," grumbled Blaize, reluctantly following the Shinx.

"Okay, then! See you at dinner!" Ariana called.

Lyre gave the duo a nod before closing the door.

* * *

><p>The hallway was actually quite dark without light streaming in from the cafeteria, though there was enough illumination from a few windows along the walls. Sterling, who was a fairly slow reader – he had never gotten the opportunity to read much but the few scrolls his tribe had – let Blaize check out the team names on the doors while he continued down the hall.<p>

"Team Never, ooh… Team Earthquake, Team Serpent, Team Grassthorn, Team Peril, Team – oh, Sterling, I think it's right there!" Blaize moved ahead, pointing at one of the doors near the end of the hall.

The Shinx rushed ahead and examined the name written on the door in golden letters: _Team Storm. _"Yep, that's it."

"All right, then." Blaize gave him a satisfied smile and reached out to push the door open. However, the grin melted from his face as his claws made contact with the wood.

"What is it?" Sterling asked curiously.

The Charmander pulled away. "It's just… I'm nervous," he admitted. "This is going to be our new home. What if we don't like it? What if we don't like our life at all? What will happen then, Sterling?"

Now was the time to put on a brave face to comfort his new friend. Sterling looked confidently back at Blaize, lifting his head. "Of course we'll love it. I like it already. Everyone's been really friendly to us, and we'll be able to do something good as soon as we start missions."

"But…" Blaize shook his head, staring at his feet. "My parents won't like this, and… what if we fail? What if we're really bad?"

_Now _Sterling understood what he was so concerned about. Though there was always the looming threat of failure, it was his parents' wrath that Blaize really feared.

"Of course we'll fail – everyone does at some point. But our accomplishments will be greater than our losses," Sterling told him. "As for your parents… if they can't accept the fact that you're following your dreams… well, they'll just have to deal with it. When we're great, and have saved lots of lives, then they'll understand."

Silence.

Then, Blaize nodded. Slowly. "Yes, of course."

He reached out a paw and shoved open the door.

As they stepped into the room that awaited just beyond, Sterling had the strangest sense that something major had changed.

And it had. His old life was long over, and his new one was ready to begin.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>

_I had lots of fun with this chapter. Though I've reviewed how the Academy looks about a million times in my head, it was interesting to put it down on paper._

_Team Fidelity and Team Guardian will appear frequently in the future, and so will Team Victory. Oddly enough, it will be the newer teams that are going to be important here. The only exception to that is Team Never._


	10. Dinner No 1

**CHAPTER TEN**

_**Dinner No. 1**_

* * *

><p><em><em>Their new room was small, but had several interesting features – the first being all of the plants in the room. Vines grew in crisscrossing strands all across the walls, sprouting from cracks in the rock walls and even inching across the floor. Plants contained in small pots were scattered around the room, most of them with budding flowers.

The second thing that Sterling noticed was that, instead of nests or just bare ground to sleep on, several hammocks dangled from the walls. It appeared that they were attached securely, though just looking at them made the skin beneath his fur crawl with nervousness.

Then he saw the tables pushed against the walls, appearing to have been made from logs that had been tied together. Though there was a larger one in the center of the room, the small tables – desks, really – were all over. They seemed to be located close to certain hammocks.

"This makes me a little nervous," Blaize admitted, holding his tail so that the flame was far from the plants. "What if I accidentally burn something?"

"I'm sure the really important stuff is fireproof," Sterling reassured him, not paying much attention to the Charmander. "What do you think those desks are for?"

Blaize rolled his eyes. "Writing, relaxing, whatever you feel like – what do you think?" He paused, scanning the room. "I hear they're made from logs instead of smooth wood because the Academy has to make so many for their students. They can be really helpful, apparently."

"What are we doing, writing essays?" Sterling grumbled, his gaze turning to the table in the middle of the room. It had no fruit-filled bowl on top of it, which disappointed him.

"No, but we'll definitely be reading," Blaize told him seriously, answering the rhetorical question. "And, from what I've seen, after we hang out in the Main with everyone else, we'll probably come back here and do whatever we want at our tables."

It amazed Sterling how much Blaize already knew about the Academy. In fact, it made him feel a little guilty – did he _really _deserve to be here? After all, it seemed that his new partner had done a lot of research, and Sterling knew next to nothing about his duties here.

"Dinner should be soon, I think," Blaize commented, jolting the Shinx from his thoughts. "We could probably just relax in here until then. Where do you want to sleep?"

Sterling eyed the hammocks suspiciously. "On the ground. Those hanging-bed-thingies don't look very… sturdy."

"They're _fine. _I'm picking this one." Blaize flopped onto the hammock that was located closest to the door. To Sterling's surprise, it didn't give way beneath him – it merely swung a bit before stopping. Blaize's tail-flame didn't seem to have an effect on it, either.

"If I die, you're going to pay for it," Sterling announced, cautiously hopping up onto the hammock that was almost right in the middle of a good amount of greenery.

That spot reminded him a bit of Amp Plains. Though he hadn't exactly experienced anything particularly good in his old home, the scenery had always been pleasant. In fact, escaping had felt almost like a crime – leaving the familiar grassland for the strange lands beyond hadn't been pleasant.

Sterling tilted back his head, inhaling deeply. The scent of plants was almost soothing, and the hammock wasn't swinging _too _badly. In fact, it was really quite… nice.

And then Ariana's chirpy voice shattered the silence. "Dinnertime!"

* * *

><p>Dinner was actually a fairly pleasant affair.<p>

Ariana herded Sterling and Blaize into the cafeteria, which had changed dramatically since the last time they had seen it. Someone had pulled a bunch of tables into the center of the room, and a bunch of different Pokémon were sitting all around them.

Sterling noticed a group of Mime Jr. with platters in their hands dancing around the seated Pokémon, letting them pick the food that they wanted. He narrowed his eyes, not recognizing the scents in the air, though a few of the dishes that the cooks were serving seemed familiar.

"Come on, come on! What are you waiting for?" Ariana asked, bobbing on her paws. "Team Fidelity and Lyre are just over there. Ooh – is that _Kotto? _Come on, come on, you might get to meet her. She's rea-a-ally cool."

Sterling gave Blaize a bemused look, noting that the Charmander appeared a little wary. The lizard glanced at his paws for a moment before asking, "Do you mean Kotto? As in Team-Grassthorn-Kotto?" His voice trembled a bit.

"Sure do!" was the happy reply.

Blaize flinched, and Sterling, seeing his reaction, would probably have done so as well. But the scents of food, no matter how strange, tempted him onward. With a grunt of disapproval, the Shinx gave Blaize a headbutt. "Move on. I'm hungry."

They were led to one of the tables at the back. Skaris, Raze, and Lyre sat in a neat row, with Flis floating at the edge. Across from the candle sat what appeared to be a fluffy cotton ball – a Whimsicott? - who was deep in conversation with all four of them.

"Come on, you Slowpokes!" Ariana called, quickly taking a seat beside the unfamiliar Whimsicott.

Sterling followed, awkwardly climbing onto the chair. He was unused to furniture, and immediately felt extremely self-conscious. Luckily, though, Blaize climbed up next to him, providing a useful distraction from the embarrassment.

"When's the food coming?" he muttered to the Charmander, tail flicking impatiently.

Ariana overheard. "Be patient, silly! The Mime Jr. have lots of Pokémon to get around to, and we didn't exactly arrive _early." _She twitched her tails and looked sideways at the Whimsicott. "This is Kotto, leader of Team Grassthorn. She's awesome."

Kotto seemed to fluff herself up more, if it was even possible. "Team Grassthorn does their duty well, I must agree, though I'm not too amazing. If you want _awesome, _then just look at Team Earthquake over there." She pointed.

Both Blaize and Sterling looked. Indeed, the group of four were sitting just around right next to them, eating with surprisingly good manners from their own plates. In fact, they all seemed to be eating vegetables – and what appeared to be metal, in the Aggron's case.

Immediately, Blaize whipped around to glare at Lyre. The Kirlia looked back with an unconvincingly innocent expression.

"You chose this table," Blaize said slowly, enunciating each word with dangerous clarity, "so that we could sit by Team Earthquake? Who I declined meeting earlier?"

Sterling smiled.

Lyre cocked her head, blinking in what was evidently false confusion. "I did? I can't recall doing that. Can you, Flis?" she asked. "Or you, Skaris? Or Raze? Kotto? Do you have any memories of me setting these two up?"

Kotto beamed and shook her head. Skaris merely grinned. Raze grunted something that sounded like a _no._

"Flis?" Lyre asked again.

"Floating candles never lie," was the, slightly ominous, reply.

Silence.

Then Blaize slumped in his seat, staring moodily at the Kirlia. "I can't believe this. You deliberately ruined my first dinner at the Newleaf Academy."

Sterling twitched an ear, glancing sideways at Team Earthquake. They were certainly huge and intimidating, though there was definitely something motherly about that Nidoqueen's expression – Nettle, if he recalled correctly.

"I'll go talk to them," he announced, intending to incense Blaize further.

It worked. "Are you _kidding?"_

"No, he's not!" Ariana butted in, tails waving.

"Yeah, he's telling the truth," Skaris agreed with a flap of his wings. Everyone sitting beside him ducked out of the way.

They clearly didn't want him to back out of it, an observation that made Sterling smirk. He had no intentions of letting an opportunity to annoy Blaize pass by. With a dramatic flip of the tail, he sprang from his seat and trotted over to Team Earthquake.

It was the Aggron – Ardon – who noticed him first. With a gruff chuckle, he looked down at the much smaller Pokémon. "Well, well… what do we have here? One of the new recruits?"

Sterling nodded vigorously. "Yes. I'm Sterling of Team Storm, as you've probably guessed," he said, in a much friendlier manner than he had originally intended, "and that Charmander over there is my partner Blaize." _Partner. _He felt a brief thrill of glee at the words.

"He looks awfully pale," the Tyranitar – Tremor.

"Yes. Well, he's a big fan of you guys, and he's absolutely petrified at the thought of talking to you," Sterling explained with a broad grin. "See, my friends in Team Guardian and Team Fidelity, and Kotto as well, have planned this whole seating arrangement. We think that it would be nice if you come over to… uh… greet him."

Tremor and Rhyor exchanged smirks.

"We know exactly what you're talking about, kiddo," Ardon replied, lowering his great metallic head so that eye contact would be easier. "We wouldn't mind helping."

Nettle spoke up for the first time. That motherly tone was evident in her voice. "No, no. I'll go talk to him. You males will just terrify the life out of the poor child." She rose to her feet, thoroughly stunning Sterling with her sheer size and power.

"Uh – uh, thanks," he stammered up to the great blue figure.

"No need to gawk, kitten," Nettle told him with a very maternal smile.

Back in Amp Plains, the term "kitten" was usually used as an insult, but there was definitely something warm and friendly about Nettle's usage of it. For some reason, Sterling felt comforted by it, and found that he was no longer _quite _so intimidated by her size.

"Okay, then. I'll come with you," he told the Nidoqueen, bouncing on his paws in a very Ariana-like way.

Sterling was sure that the only thing that saved Blaize from falling into a dead faint was the arrival of the food.

Nettle returned to her original place with her team when the group of Mime Jr. arrived, lifting significant pressure off of Blaize's shoulders. Though he and the others picked what they wanted to eat with ease, Sterling was astounded by the sheer unfamiliarity of everything.

"Uhh…" he mumbled, staring at the assortment of colorful round things on one of the platters. "…what, exactly, are those?"

"Fruit salad and berry pastries, but that's mostly appetizers," Skaris informed him.

Kotto snorted. "Mostly my dinner, you mean. I can't bear to eat anything that used to be living."

That made Sterling feel guilty. He remembered everything he had eaten back at the tribe – though his diet had included berries, it had consisted mainly of meat.

"The meat was taken from dungeon Pokémon, who basically have no minds," Lyre retorted. "They're not sentient, and I haven't sensed any emotions coming from them before. No need to restrict your diet because of it."

Kotto huffed indignantly.

"Please take your pick," one of the Mime Jr. said flatly.

"Sterling, you might want to try some roasted Basculin," Skaris recommended, taking over the selection of the Shinx's food. "And there's Grumpig steak as well, yum – and baked Stantler, I see. If you want vegetables, get the 'karp stew."

A bit overwhelmed by it all – not to mention embarrassed – Sterling just picked the Magikarp stew, a chunk of Stantler meat, and a bit of chopped berries. Everything looked delicious, he had to admit – the stew smelled amazing, and the meat was covered in what appeared to be spices, and someone had drizzled Combee honey and herbs over the berries.

"Nice picks," Blaize said with a snort. "They would have been nicer if you were able to choose in about thirty minutes less, though."

"Shut up." Sterling leaned closer, inhaling the scent of the stew.

Lyre was already eating her fruit salad with gusto, and both Raze, Skaris, and Blaize were digging into their Grumpig steak. Ariana nibbled at her boiled Krabby, though Kotto was chowing down on her berries.

And Flis was cheerily sending a small stream of flames directly at her food. When everything had been burned to her satisfaction, she began the slightly disturbing process of… eating it?

Blaize elbowed Sterling. "Eat, darn it!" he ordered through a mouthful of meat.

The Shinx obliged, sticking his face in the bowl and slurping up the stew. Though the sounds he made were anything but pleasant, the noise from everyone _else _was even louder – and much, much more disgusting.

It felt like home.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Sterling found himself stuffed for the first time in a while. He had never been starved back at the tribe, but it wasn't like the others allowed him to eat everything he wanted, either. It was nice to be able to devour as much good food as he wished, for once.<p>

After a bit of conversation, Kotto had drifted off to join her teammates. Now it was just Team Fidelity, Team Guardian, and the brand-new Team Storm, sitting comfortably at the tables.

Ariana was dead silent, for once. Naturally, the usually quiet Raze filled in for her. "That was great. I hope I'll have digested by tomorrow morning, though. We have that mission to Azure Plains, don't we?"

"Oh, yeah. You're catching that one outlaw, aren't you?" Lyre asked, almost lazily, as if this was an everyday occurrence.

"Outlaw?" Sterling shot up, the vivid picture of Raonix's wounds fixed in his mind.

Blaize looked a little worried as well, though not half as stunned. "I guess it's inevitable that we get forced out to catch criminals," he grumbled. It was evident that he found it hard to summon the resentment with such a comfortably full stomach, though.

"This isn't our first outlaw-hunting mission," Flis told him dryly.

"It's easy. All we have to do is reach the end of a mystery dungeon, Azure Plains, and catch some petty thief – a Lombre, if I'm correct." Raze snorted. "He'll be no match for us. We've got fire and flying-types on our side, Skaris has a natural resistance to both water and grass, and I can just attack with my dragon moves. Flis will attack from a distance."

Sterling was still fairly anxious, though. He was almost surprised that he was already so worried about his new friends.

"Everyone does it at one point, Sterling," Lyre said. "We've already taken on a few outlaws, haven't we, Ariana?"

But the Vulpix was sound asleep.

Skaris chuckled in his usual harsh voice, though Lyre shot him a deadly look. "Don't laugh at her. I'm pretty sure _you _feel sleepy yourself."

Blaize shot Sterling an amused look before interjecting. "Do we all have our missions pre-picked before we actually go on them?" he asked.

"Only if we're hunting outlaws. We typically choose what we're doing on the day of the mission, but more experienced teams get their work chosen for them," Flis answered.

"Do you think _we_ will be going on a mission tomorrow?" Blaize asked excitedly.

Raze flashed him a rare grin. "Most likely. You'll probably be going with a supervisor from an older team, just to make sure you don't screw up too terribly."

"That's _great_ for self-confidence," Sterling grumbled.

"Nah, the tag-along mentors aren't too bad," Flis told him cheerily. When both the Charmander and the Shinx gave her an odd look, she laughed. "That's what we call them – tag-along mentors."

Lyre's smile melted off her face, replaced by a much more serious look. "Just think, guys. One day, _we _might be tag-along mentors, teaching the Green Ranked newbies of the Academy." She placed her chin in one hand, looking almost distant.

For a moment, everybody was silent (save for a sniffle from the sleeping Ariana). Then, suspiciously, Blaize said, "Green Rank?"

Skaris somehow twisted his beak into a smirk. "That's what you are right now." His eyes glittered. "After you complete a certain amount of missions, you'll move to Bronze Rank. You see, the ranks show your level of experience and even competence in handling mystery dungeons, and higher ranks allow you to take on more difficult missions and dungeons."

"So we're Green Rank?" Sterling asked disbelievingly.

Flis cackled. "Yes! Yes, indeed!"

"Technically, Green Rank's just a nickname. The real name is Normal Rank, but just about everyone but the newbies deemed it too boring to use," Lyre explained.

Suddenly, Ariana tumbled from her seat, hitting the ground with a muffled grunt. Her eyelids seemed to flutter before she sank bank into deep sleep, slumping on the floor.

"…I think we'd better get to sleep. It's late, and we want to be rested for our missions," Lyre said hurriedly, leaping from her chair to scoop up the drowsy Vulpix. Surprisingly, she was strong enough to hold Ariana in her arms.

"I agree. We don't usually stay after dinner to chat, anyways." Skaris hopped off his seat, followed by Raze. "See you guys next morning."

"See ya," Blaize called as they trotted away (with the exception of Flis, who just drifted along).

Lyre adjusted Ariana on her shoulder, grumbling about how heavy the Vulpix was, before she set off after Team Fidelity with a similar farewell.

Blaize turned to Sterling with a half-grin. "Well, that was an interesting experience, wasn't it?"

"That's one way of putting it," the Shinx replied, though he really had enjoyed his first meal at the Newleaf Academy. "Let's go back to our rooms. I don't know about you, but I'm tired."

And so their first day at the Academy ended – and it certainly was the _least_ hectic one that they would ever experience.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Ack! This chapter took a ridiculously long time to complete! It's partly due to ridiculous amounts of homework... and, of course, writers' block. Wouldn't we all be better off without it?_

_Lots of dialogue here. Next time, though, we get a mystery dungeon, as well as a "tag-along mentor." There will be plenty of action then._


	11. The World of Mystery Dungeons

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

_**The World of Mystery Dungeons**_

* * *

><p><em><em>The second day began with a sunny, clear sky, a pleasant breeze, and a deafening howl from outside the door.

"**IT'S MORNING, EVERYONE! TIME TO WAKE UP!"**

Sterling yelped and rolled over, swatting at the air, and promptly fell off of the hammock. With a loud thump, he landed painfully on the very hard floor.

For a moment, he flailed about, his eyes flying open. Then another earsplitting blast of sound silenced him – the chiming of a very, very loud bell.

Too loud.

"SHUT UP!" came a shriek from somewhere in the room. Though it was not anywhere near the agonizing volume of the other shouts, it clearly conveyed its message.

Sterling stumbled to his feet, wobbling uncertainly. His ears were ringing unpleasantly, and his ability to hear seemed to have fallen significantly after that. He took an unsteady step towards the hammock in which Blaize lay.

The Charmander was glowering at the door. "Arceus, I hate Pokémon like that," he growled. "Just because _they_ wake up at the crack of dawn doesn't mean everyone else has to…"

"Blaize, I can barely hear!" Sterling wailed, tail lashing and ears pricked. As much as he tried, every sound seemed to be muffled – even his own words. Seeing as hearing was such an important part of his life, he was beginning to grow extremely worried.

Blaize turned and jumped upon spotting him. The reaction was unsurprising – anyone would be disoriented if they woke up to deafening screams. "Ack, Sterling! You _startled _me." His tail-flame flickered uneasily.

In Sterling's eyes, that was a ridiculously trivial matter compared to the loss of his hearing. "BLAIZE!" he whined, desperately pawing at one ear.

"Calm down! It'll wear off soon," Blaize comforted him.

That was when the door swung open and a strangely familiar Pokémon floated in – a Chimecho. She looked at the two of them with an odd expression on her face.

Sterling had been shaking like a leaf, but his eyes narrowed when he spotted the newcomer. He recognized her from yesterday: Lyric, from Team Desert. And he remembered very vividly that she could chime like a bell.

"No need to shout, Blaize," Lyric said in her musical voice. "It's routine. Kalazar sends a psychic shout to wake everyone, and I ring as a backup."

Blaize's cheeks flushed again. "Oh… sorry."

Sterling swiveled his ears, finding with relief that his ability to detect sound was gradually returning. He made an experimental growling sound and was able to pick it up with ease. "I can hear again," he said aloud, waving his tail with delight.

"That's an unfortunate side effect of the morning wake-up. Both Kalazar and I amplify our voices using psychic energy," Lyric apologized. "Mostly every Pokémon with sensitive ears gets a shock from it. Even Nettle does, and she's been with us for a long time."

There was a slightly awkward silence in which everyone stared at each other.

"Uh… what are you doing here, exactly?" Sterling asked at last.

"Oh. Kalazar asked me to be your mentor, since Raonix is still recovering," Lyric replied brightly.

Blaize eyed her strangely. Again, though, it was Sterling who voiced both of their thoughts. "Tag-along mentor, you mean?"

"I am more than capable of tackling rookie dungeons," Lyric said with dignity. To prove her point, she used a swift Psychic and snatched both of the duo up and into the air. They levitated there for a moment before floating back down to the ground.

Blaize crossed his arms. "Okay, I guess you're good," he admitted.

"Which mission are we taking today?" Sterling asked eagerly, recalling the bulletin boards that had been covered with job offers.

"I was just going to take you to pick one," Lyric replied. "Follow me."

* * *

><p>The job room was already crowded with Pokémon. Sterling recognized the group of four serpents that he had seen on his first visit to the Academy, though (amazingly enough, considering their size) they slipped away into the crowd before he could inquire who they were.<p>

"This is why it's always a better idea to pick missions the night before," Lyric sighed. "The pre-breakfast rush. It's always insane." She floated ahead a bit. "Well, let's see if we can get through."

After a lot of shoving (and being shoved), the group finally made their way to the job bulletin board. Sterling looked hard at the board, studying all of the mission offers that were posted on there.

Blaize frowned, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I recognize a few of these names. Windfall Plains, Yellow Marsh, Star Crest…"

"Those are _nasty _mystery dungeons for many, many reasons. A powerful wind blows across Windfall Plains and never stops; Yellow Marsh is filled with dangerous bogs and is muddy, wet, and annoying; Star Crest is an extremely high mountain that is rumored to be haunted…" Lyric made a strange chiming sound. "It's no wonder that they're talked about in town."

"So we can't go to those places?" Sterling asked in disappointment. Strong winds, a few bogs, and heights (accompanied with ridiculous rumors) didn't seem scary at all.

"Those mystery dungeons aren't only dangerous – they're filled with tough dungeon Pokémon that are far above your level," Lyric replied in a dignified tone. "Team Desert has tackled each one, and I can tell you personally that they're no fun."

Blaize's eyes widened, and he pointed a claw at one of the missions that was located at the bottom. "Hey, I recognize that place! Sunrise Meadow... I used to go there when I was little."

Sterling peered at the description. It seemed fairly simple, bordering on flat-out boring.

_I was watching the sunset at the end of Sunrise Meadow. Upon returning home, I realized that my precious Stamina Band had been left behind! Please find it and give it back to me!_

_From Cerulean the Wingull_

Beneath the note was another sheet of paper, which was more descriptive:

_Client: Cerulean the Wingull, resident of Newleaf Town_

_Objective: Retrieve the lost Stamina Band_

_Place: Sunrise Meadow_

_Floor: Sunrise Meadow Heights (end of dungeon)_

_Difficulty: E_

_Reward: 1000 Poké_

"Sunrise Meadow isn't too hard, and its difficulty is E. This will do," Lyric muttered to herself, examining the job offer as well.

"Difficulty is E?" echoed Sterling in confusion.

"Teams have ranks, as you probably know. The higher the rank you have, you can take on more difficult missions. E is the easiest, D is the second-easiest… then there's C, B, A, S, and the five star difficulties. Green Rank teams can only take E and D missions, while Gold Ranks like Team Desert can take up to one star-difficulty jobs," the Chimecho replied.

Blaize heaved a grumpy sigh. "I guess we'll just have to deal with the easy jobs for now… oh, well. Let's take it, Ster."

"_Don't_ call me Ster."

* * *

><p>Breakfast was much quicker than the dinner from the previous night. Sterling practically inhaled his meal of assorted berries and apples, barely tasting them. He looked up from the bowl with a juice-stained smile of satisfaction.<p>

Across the table, Lyric was eating more delicately, levitating bits of berry into her mouth. Next to her was Blaize, chewing on what appeared to be a strip of meat. Several more of those were scattered about his plate.

"Blaize, what in Arceus's name is _that_?" asked Sterling, half-fascinated and half-disgusted. The meat-strips looked unpleasantly chewy and appeared to be burnt, though they gave off a smell that could only be described as delicious.

"Bacon," said the Charmander vaguely, speaking through a mouthful of meat.

Lyric looked amused. "It's the meat of pig-like Pokémon, basically – Tepig and Spoink and Swinub and their evolutions. Even if it came from feral Pokémon, I don't eat meat, but bacon is very good."

"Have some," offered Blaize, holding out a strip of meat.

Sterling snatched it up in his teeth and began to chew slowly, tasting it. Though parts of the meat seemed to be a bit chewy, it was crispy as well, and had an amazing flavor.

Blaize swallowed his own bacon and beamed at the Shinx's expression. "I knew you'd like it!"

"Ferals are good for two things – food and training," Lyric said with a smile. "That's what Raonix says, anyways." Her expression darkened for a moment, but she concealed it swiftly with an even broader grin. "Well, once you're ready, we can get going to Sunrise Meadow. My bag is already packed with enough supplies to sustain three Pokémon, so you don't need to prepare today."

"Thanks, Lyric," Sterling mumbled through a mouthful of meat, barely paying attention to her words.

He hadn't realized that he had missed out on such good food back at Amp Plains.

* * *

><p>"Oh, it's <em>you<em> guys."

On the way out of the Academy, the trio had stopped upon spotting another group of departing Pokémon – Torrent, Farin, and Aloe, accompanied by an Xatu.

"What do you want?" Sterling asked aggressively, his voice a growl. "We're off to do some good in the world. You'll only get in our way."

"So this is the team you'll be mentoring?" Lyric asked the Xatu.

The bird nodded, a hint of amusement in his expression. "Yes. They appear to know your students quite well."

Blaize, glowering fiercely at Torrent, was paying no attention to the psychics' conversation. Sterling, however, was not quite so occupied with giving Farin and Aloe his best death-glare. "You guys know each other?" he asked curiously, looking up.

"This is Destis. He's my teammate," Lyric replied. "As for you, Team Victory, I expect to hear good things about you. Destis is a great teacher."

"You'll hear plenty about us," Torrent assured her with a confident smirk. "We are Team _Victory_, after all."

"Yeah – and what she hears won't be good," Blaize shot back.

The glaring contest would have resumed if Lyric and Destis hadn't psychically dragged them away from each other.

"Off to Tangled Copse, now," Destis announced loudly. With a flap of his wings, he set off, and Torrent, Farin, and Aloe followed reluctantly after.

"Way to ruin a morning," grumbled Blaize, glaring after them.

Sterling snorted. "I don't know. That wake-up was pretty bad."

Lyric blushed and remained absolutely silent during the walk through the town and to the meadow.

* * *

><p>Sunrise Meadow was basically a small stretch of woodland that led up to a flower-covered hill. Despite the pleasant look of the flame-colored flowers swaying rhythmically with the breeze, there was something decidedly eerie about the place.<p>

The trees were crooked, bending over as if in pain, and their branches were absolutely still despite the wind. The leaves hanging off them looked to be suspended in a state between spring freshness and complete decay. And, even from a distance, Sterling could tell that the flowers' colors were not as vivid as they appeared.

"This is Sunrise Meadow," Lyric announced in her musical voice, speaking for the first time since they had left the Academy. "I know that you two can't see the disturbance in the air that marks the border of the mystery dungeon, but – "

"I can see it."

Both Lyric and Sterling turned to stare quizzically at the Charmander. Sterling certainly couldn't see anything; he could sense how wrong it felt, though. In fact, the tension in the air was similar to that he felt around the borders of the Amp Plains mystery dungeon. His tribe usually stayed well away from it.

"It's sort of glassy-looking, but it's rippling back and forth." Blaize wasn't looking at them; his gaze was fixed on some point ahead. "What do you mean that you can't see it? It's there, I'm serious."

"Most Pokémon can't detect the disturbance without unleashing an attack first," Lyric told him uneasily. To prove her point, she launched a Psychic at the hill.

Something came into view. It was like the air itself had become visible, taking the form of a rippling solid thing. Then it seemed to absorb the energy from the attack and faded out of sight again.

"…I saw it for a moment," Sterling offered.

Blaize scratched his head, looking confused. "I can see it, I really can…"

"I'm not doubting you. Aura-users can see the borders of mystery dungeons, and psychics, ghosts, and dark-types can sense them if they concentrate hard enough. Mechanical Pokémon know exactly where they are," Lyric said slowly, sounding as if she was talking to herself more than to the duo.

Sterling glanced sharply at her. "Mechanical Pokémon?" That sounded ominous.

"Those are genderless Pokémon. They live and think, but they don't always breathe, and their minds are… _strange_. They do not hear telepathy and don't turn feral in mystery dungeons; they just choose to live in them." Lyric turned to face him. "Voltorb, Magnemite, and Beldum are examples."

"What are we sitting around talking for?" Blaize asked loudly. "Let's go in. We have a mission to complete."

Lyric didn't appear to notice it, but Sterling distinctly heard the tremble in his voice.

* * *

><p>The first "floor" of Sunrise Meadow was mostly composed of woodland, with few flowers. The crooked appearance of the trees made Sterling shiver, and the ominous look of the undergrowth was certainly creepy.<p>

The shadows that stretched out from the various trees and shrubs seemed to be attempting to claw at the traveling trio. Sterling made an effort to stay away from them, though he had to admit that it was a ridiculous fear, seeing as there were lots of trees and, therefore, lots of shadows.

"Mystery dungeons are divided into separate sections. We usually refer to them as floors," Lyric explained as they continued along, keeping an eye out for feral Pokémon. "You pass through a series of floors to reach the end of the dungeon. Sometimes, the scenery can change dramatically as you move on."

Blaize didn't seem to be paying much attention to what she was saying – he had a troubled expression, despite his efforts to keep it blank. Sterling gave him a worried look before turning back to Lyric, intent on distracting himself from the eerie surroundings. "What's a feral Pokémon again?" he asked stupidly.

It was Blaize who answered that one. "Those are Pokémon who have been trapped in mystery dungeons and have eventually lost their sentience due to the disturbances within them," he said quietly, shoving aside a bush. "They have no reason and will show no mercy. They're very territorial, I've heard."

As if on cue, a small green thing shoved its way through the undergrowth to leer at them. It gave a growl that was actually a little intimidating, considering its size.

"A feral Budew. I'll leave you two to fight it." Lyric drifted backwards.

Sterling felt a little panicked at losing their guardian, but snapped out of his reverie when the Budew lunged at him with a fearsome cry. The two vines on the top of its head unraveled and reached out for the Shinx.

Then Blaize leaped in, unleashing a small Ember at the grass-type. The stream of flames caused the Budew to recoil, and Sterling was able to tackle it without difficulty. He began clawing fiercely at its body when it sprayed water in his face.

"Ack!" he yelped, falling backwards in his temporary blindness. Immediately, he began to frantically shake his head in an effort to get the water out of his eyes.

There was a rush of wind – Blaize had charged past him, lunging at the Budew with his claws. Sterling's eyes flew open in time to see the Charmander strike it down with a well-placed Scratch.

"Good job, both of you," Lyric congratulated, "though that Water Sport clearly caught you two by surprise."

Sterling took offense. "It sprayed water in my face!" he snapped at her. "Did you expect me to be cheerful or someth – "

"She's not insulting you, Ster," Blaize told him cheerfully with a pat to the head. "It's just an observation."

Sterling glowered at the Chimecho before setting off again.

* * *

><p>They had encountered a Paras and an Oddish (both of them easily defeated) by the time they reached what appeared to be… a staircase?<p>

"I know it's a bit random, but you have to use them to get out of the dungeon floor," Lyric informed the bewildered duo, drifting forward so that she was hovering directly over the staircase.

Sterling exchanged confused looks with Blaize before stepping forward and placed his paw on the stone. As soon as the Charmander had touched it as well, their surroundings seemed to vanish. For a moment, there was complete darkness, and then new scenery materialized.

The previous forest had faded completely. Now they were at the foot of a hill covered with oddly pale flowers, which were swaying as if caught in a breeze. There was no wind, though; Sterling couldn't feel it at all. He quivered a bit, looking around.

Blaize was scanning his surroundings with an odd expression on his face, his tail-flame flickering uneasily. Beside him, Lyric was drifting calmly, wearing a smile.

"Welcome to the world of mystery dungeons," she said.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>

_It should not have taken so long to update…! But at least I managed. Parents are evil creatures, they are._

_We'll resume the exploration next chapter! This is the "beginning" dungeon, to be sure, but there's no way I'm making things easy for Ster and Blaize~_

_And about the bacon… that was a dare. I mentioned to a friend that I was writing a PMD story, and that was what she wanted me to do: put bacon in it. So I did. Yay, me._


	12. Unexpected Difficulties

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

_**Unexpected Difficulties**_

* * *

><p><em><em>From there, things only got harder.

Sterling and Blaize were almost immediately ambushed by a group of hissing Rattata. Though the duo fended them off with plenty of fire and electricity, there was no doubt that the rodents were much stronger than the ferals they had previously encountered.

The Shinx glanced back at Lyric, who had avoided interfering but had still looked worried. Her anxiety had clearly faded, though, a fact that was oddly soothing. At least she seemed to think that they were strong enough to take on the whole dungeon.

Sterling continued after Blaize, increasing his pace as he waded through the flowers, and focused his attention on the shifting blossoms. Though they were all shades of orange and red and gold, they appeared to have been drained of their color and looked pale and sickly.

"Ursaaa!"

He jolted visibly, pricking his ears and staring ahead. The owner of the high-pitched cry was a small brown bear clawing away at Blaize, who was making an effort to beat it away with flames and similar scratch attacks.

Sterling charged on ahead, unleashing a swift Spark at the Teddiursa. The cub flinched, surprised, and Blaize was able to land a few hits.

Tottering a bit, but definitely not defeated, the Teddiursa gave another cry and aimed a blow at Sterling. The Shinx retaliated with a quick Night Slash, knocking the feral Pokémon backwards into Blaize, who attacked it with his claws glowing white.

With a shrill squeal, the Teddiursa fell to the ground, and the quick – yet intense – battle was over.

"Nice Counter, Blaize. I've always admired that technique," Lyric remarked. "And you were very fast, Sterling."

"Awesome as always," Sterling replied with triumph.

"Don't get too cocky – you'll sound like Torrent," Blaize told him dryly. "Anyways, let's get going. This mystery dungeon's getting annoying."

That statement was proven true after the three waded through more groups of angry ferals. Ascending to the next floor didn't help much, either – the change in height was disorienting, and the dungeon Pokémon got a little stronger there as well.

After beating a Bellsprout senseless (it had been surprisingly resistant to fire attacks), Sterling kicked at its unconscious body with a growl of annoyance. "I'm starting to think that these things have water-type parents, and everything else is part ground."

"That may be true, actually," Lyric replied. "I'm pretty sure that cross-breeding isn't banned here. None of the inhabitants are sentient, after all."

At this, Sterling gave the plant Pokémon a vicious glare that would have terrified a legendary. Even the normally cheerful Blaize aimed a Scratch at its unconscious body, undoubtedly feeling bitter about its resistance to fire as well.

As soon as he spotted _another_ Bellsprout in the distance, Sterling charged right towards it and began pummeling it with Spark attacks. Luckily, it seemed to share the water traits that the other Bellsprout had, and was quickly weakened by the overload of electricity.

Blaize caught up swiftly enough. The plant turned its gaze on him and lashed out with a Vine Whip, evidently trying to take down its new foe. With his claws glowing again, Blaize caught the vines in midair and thrust them back at the grass Pokémon.

Sterling lunged forward again, striking out with a Night Slash as the Bellsprout fell backwards. With a faint sound of defeat, the plant trembled, then toppled to the ground in a dead faint.

Growling, Sterling clawed it again for good measure.

"That was fun," remarked Blaize with joy, lifting his claws to the sky in triumph.

Lyric sighed, floating ahead of the victorious duo. "Don't waste your energy. We still have a few more floors to go," she reminded them. "Besides, our supplies won't last if you keep beating on every feral you see."

"Okay, okay," Sterling grumbled. "You have to admit that the Demonsprouts are annoying, though."

"If you were a psychic-type, you'd be more worried about demon bugs than plants," Lyric told him flatly, pausing to look him in the eye.

"And if you were a fire-type, then you'd be _laughing_ about the demon bugs," Blaize cut in. "Now, can we go?"

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the fourth floor, they were presented with a new problem: hunger.<p>

After fending off an angry Taillow that had been poking around in the flowers, Sterling paused. His stomach was growling impatiently.

For a moment, the fallen bird looked appetizing – he had eaten plenty of things raw before, and the Taillow looked particularly tasty. But, looking up, he observed that neither Blaize nor Lyric seemed to be the slightest bit hungry, and they probably wouldn't approve of him taking advantage of such helpless prey.

So, unhappily, he left the swallow lying motionless in the sickly-looking flowers and trotted after his companions. He didn't feel any better while keeping busy, though – in fact, he was beginning to feel much worse.

It was a relief when Lyric spared him the embarrassment of revealing his weakness. "I'm getting hungry. We should stop and refill our bellies."

Impulsively, Sterling glanced sideways at Blaize. The relief on the Charmander's face made him realize that he clearly wasn't the only one who had an empty (and unpleasantly vocal) stomach.

The bag, which had been slung around Lyric's shoulder (or whatever it was), began to give off a faint pink glow. Its top opened suddenly and three apples drifted out of it.

Sterling shivered when he realized that Lyric was using her psychic abilities to move the objects. It was almost scary to be in the presence of a Pokémon with that much power – and Kalazar, of course, was even stronger than _her._

"Mystery dungeons are basically formed by distortions in the fabric of space, and the distortions send out disturbances that seem to alter the layout of the dungeon. That's one theory about why dungeons never look the same when you enter them," Lyric said, moving the apples closer to the Shinx and Charmander. "But the distortions also affect time. In mystery dungeons, things grow and decay faster, and your belly will run out much more quickly. However, you will heal faster as well."

"Distortions in the fabric of space?" echoed Blaize in confusion, reaching for an apple.

"That's what most Pokémon call it, yes. The fabric of space is basically what makes up the world." Lyric paused, clearly thinking about how to explain it. "If there are distortions, it can cause disturbances, like mystery dungeons. There are even some theories about rips in space allowing alternate dimensions to slip through."

Pricking his ears, Sterling began chewing slowly on his chunk of apple. "Alternate dimensions? Like, different timelines and worlds and stuff?" he asked, trying to speak clearly through his mouthful of fruit.

"Kind of." Lyric looked sheepishly at them. "I wouldn't be the best Pokémon to ask about this, really. There are some good books in the library that have all sorts of information on mystery dungeons, though."

Sterling exchanged a glance with Blaize. _Books? Seriously?_

Lyric either noticed their expressions or could read minds (which was actually a highly likely possibility). "I'm not kidding. Some Pokémon don't like books, but they can be very useful, and they're definitely interesting," she said seriously. "Have you ever read the _Rescue Team Red _and _Blue_ series? Or the _Explorers of Time, Darkness, _and_ Sky_ trilogy?"

Blaize covered his face with his paws, his scales turning a deep shade of scarlet. "…I have."

Sterling recalled him saying something about reading a few good books. He looked with interest at Lyric, still doubtful, but now curious.

"Well, they're about humans that have turned into Pokémon and form teams with their chosen partners. The stories are all about their adventures," Lyric told Sterling. "They're very well-written. In fact, they are perfect examples of good books."

Blaize spoke in a muffled voice, paws still over his face. "I _guess _we'll read the stories about mystery dungeons," he grumbled.

"You _guess? _You _will," _corrected Lyric.

And there was no time to continue the argument, because right then, a group of demon bugs chose that moment to leap out of the flowers and corner them – a mixture of Kricketot, Venipede, Weedle, and Sewaddle. (Luckily, the apples had been finished before that.)

Lyric gave a high-pitched shriek that actually echoed inside of her body. She levitated upwards, staying as high as possible above the group of insects. "Monster house!" she cried.

"Monster – _what?" _Sterling asked in complete confusion, looking upwards at the psychic and then ahead at his foes. A Venipede eyed him dangerously, making a hissing noise as it curled into a very venomous ball.

"No time for questions! Get fighting!" Blaize snarled, charging forward with an Ember burning in his jaws. The few bugs that were too slow to leap away from the stream of flames were immediately fried.

The Venipede hissed again, drawing Sterling's attention back to it. His claws flashed black, and he lunged with a Night Slash, but it ducked aside. The attack hit a slow Kricketot instead, hitting the insect hard enough to knock it out.

A very painful barb of some sort caught Sterling in the chest. He whirled, hitting the Weedle with a Spark, but the attack drained him enough to let him know that the Poison Sting had done its job. He had been successfully poisoned.

There was a blast of flame from nearby, followed by a flash of white light – Counter. A Sewaddle and a Kricketot fell unconscious, and one of the other Venipede was struck down by its own attack. That reduced the number of foes, but there were plenty more to go.

Sterling was facing his own Venipede. The bug hissed yet again and uncurled from its ball, aiming a series of Poison Stings at him before curling up again. It was evidently a feral, but was just intelligent enough to know how to cover its weak spots.

Sterling charged up a Spark, his fur crackling with static, and lunged at the venomous insect when it uncurled again. The surge of electricity knocked it out, and he was able to spin and face more enemies that were thankfully not as smart.

It only took a few more Embers and Sparks before all of the bugs were defeated, and Lyric returned while dragging a much larger insect behind her. Sterling recognized it as a Whirlipede. Recalling his own fight with its unevolved form, he cringed.

"Is anyone poisoned?" Lyric asked, surprisingly calmly. She used her Psychic to hit the Whirlipede on its head again before letting it go.

"I'm pretty sure that I am," Sterling replied, feeling a wave of nausea hit him. "A Weedle got me in the chest."

"Ah, sorry about that." Blaize shot him a sympathetic look. "I'm good, though."

Lyric levitated a Pecha berry from her bag and dropped it in front of Sterling. The fruit's sweet fragrance was most certainly a welcome one. The Shinx wolfed it down within a matter of seconds, feeling the wooziness fade away fairly quickly.

"We should take it easy for a while," Lyric murmured to herself. Then, in a louder voice, she said, "Let's keep going. The stairs are over there; I spotted them while fighting the Whirlipede."

* * *

><p>The next floor was definitely higher than the last, and there were now streams of water crisscrossing through the flowers. Even the liquid seemed a little off, flowing at a very slow pace while giving off what appeared to be an unnatural glow. No reflections showed in its placid surface, either, an observation that Sterling found very creepy.<p>

He shook his head and looked up at Lyric. "You shouted 'monster house' back there when the bugs ambushed," he observed. "What is that, anyways?"

"Sometimes, feral Pokémon will actually work together and gang up on you. The Rattata pack wasn't large enough to qualify as one, but those bugs definitely were. It's a shame that you had to encounter a monster house in your first dungeon, but at least you made it through." Lyric smiled uneasily.

"Sounds nasty," Blaize said darkly. "I'd hate being attacked by a group of ground-types, you know. Ster would be completely ineffective against them, and I'd do almost no damage."

"_Don't call me Ster." _

They only encountered a Paras on the way to the staircase, and Lyric forbid Sterling from fighting it, claiming that the natural healing of mystery dungeons could only do so much. He watched grumpily from the sidelines as Blaize used a brief Ember on the bug, thoroughly charring it.

The stairs were surprisingly close. But before Sterling or Blaize could step on it, Lyric drifted ahead of them with a serious look on her face.

"This is the last floor of Sunrise Meadow," she informed them. "Usually, I wouldn't be worried at all. But the way things have been going so far… I just want to warn you. Some dungeons have territorial 'bosses' who are sentient, but are nevertheless affected by the mystery dungeons they live at the end of. Sunrise Meadow does _not _have a boss, luckily, but my psychic intuition is telling me that there's nothing good ahead."

"The psychic sixth sense… I thought that was a myth," Blaize muttered.

Sterling grinned at him, appreciating the fact that Blaize was trying to add humor to the situation, though all of them were definitely worried by Lyric's prediction. "We'll be careful," he promised. "Can we go now?"

The Chimecho drifted aside, letting them pass and touch the stairs, and that part of the hill vanished.

* * *

><p>The scenery that appeared next was a hilltop covered with flowers and lined with a few trees. Unlike those that had appeared so frequently in the mystery dungeon, the blossoms were vibrantly colored and were swaying to a real breeze. Their petals were the color of fire, appearing to be brighter than Blaize's own tail-flame.<p>

Beyond the edge of the hill, a vast amount of land was visible. And, right where the hill dropped off to the ground, there was a long red ribbon sitting innocently on the ground. It was a bit frayed, but was still in good condition.

_Cerulean's Stamina Band, _Sterling realized.

"_Stay back. Something feels very wrong." _Lyric's voice spoke right into the Shinx's skull. He resisted the urge to whirl and hiss at her, hating the feeling of someone probing around in his brain. _"I know you two don't like this, but I don't want anyone to know that I'm talking with you guys."_

Blaize sighed. Lyric shot him a death glare.

"_Let me go first," _she said telepathically, drifting forwards. She looked from side to side before hovering right over the Stamina Band. For a moment, she simply looked at it; then she picked it up with a quick Psychic.

And was promptly knocked backwards by a Razor Leaf to the head.

Sterling and Blaize instinctively shot forwards, the Charmander dropping onto all fours so that he could run faster. The attacker burst from the trees with a hissing cry and landed easily in front of the Stamina Band.

The Pokémon was brown, with what appeared to be a mask-like marking on his face and an unusually long nose – a Nuzleaf. With a confident flip of his leaf, he rose to his feet and stared coldly down at his two opponents.

"That's mine," he said in a voice of pure ice.

And that was when Blaize chose to attack, lunging with an Ember building up in his mouth. The Nuzleaf dodged at an impossibly fast speed, growling, and aimed a Razor Leaf at the Charmander.

Sterling leaped, silver eyes flashing momentarily as he unleashed a Night Slash. It didn't hurt the Nuzleaf much at all, but distracted him long enough for Blaize to hit from behind with an Ember. The Charmander had a small wound from the Razor Leaf, and the sight only infuriated Sterling further.

He lashed out with a Spark, easily avoiding a Pound from the Nuzleaf's leaf. Blaize struck with his claws glowing in a metallic way – Metal Claw – knocking the grass-type forward a bit.

The Nuzleaf made as if to lunge at Blaize, who sidestepped, but fell right into his enemy's trap – Fake Out. And then he proceeded to whirl fast enough to catch Sterling in the stomach with a quick Razor Leaf, sending the Shinx flying backwards.

And then Lyric entered the battle.

She began to chime musically again, the sound echoing within her hollow body, and filled the hilltop with a beautiful, harmonious sound – Heal Bell. Sterling found that the noise of the bell had actually refreshed him and was able to fight just like before.

But Lyric didn't interfere more than that. The Nuzleaf shot a feeble Razor Leaf at her, but was quickly overpowered by the combination of angry Charmander and Shinx.

"I recognize you," Lyric said quietly, drifting over to the Nuzleaf. He struggled desperately, trying to get at her, but had lost too much strength to shake Sterling and Blaize off.

"Yeah, so what?" he spat, defeated.

"You're Notch – an outlaw." Lyric smiled, and this time it was distinctly sinister. "We're going to turn you in. Now knock him out, Sterling, and Blaize, get the Stamina Band."

Sterling didn't like being ordered around much, but that creepy smile was imprinted into his brain. He pinned down Notch and stared into his eyes, raising a paw in preparation for the attack.

"…you… are one of my kind," said the Nuzleaf, stopping his hissing and struggling long enough to look into his foe's silver eyes.

Sterling had already knocked him unconscious before he actually comprehended what Notch had said.

_One of his kind…?_

* * *

><p>Lyric was apologetic. "We'll have to drag both Notch and the Stamina Band back to the Academy. It's not too long of a walk, but… I was completely unprepared for an outlaw battle." She sighed. "And it was with a dark-type, too… you were in a lot of danger… monster houses and outlaws in the first dungeon, really? At this rate, you'll be running into the <em>Wind<em>…"

Sterling had been pondering Notch's words with worry for a while and had not been paying attention to her rambling. But the way she said "wind" made him think that there was something important about it.

Blaize asked before he could. "What do you mean by 'Wind?'" he asked curiously.

Lyric froze.

"...the Wind is every explorer's nightmare," she said finally.

And she would elaborate no more on the subject.

* * *

><p>"…an outlaw? A <em>monster house?"<em>

After the trio had returned to the Academy, they had almost immediately reported to Kalazar. He had summoned in a Gengar and two Haunter (apparently, they were part of the town's "police," whatever that was), who had taken away Notch and the Stamina Band, informing the four that they would return it to its rightful owner. As soon as they were gone, Kalazar had asked about Team Storm's first mission.

He had not liked what he'd heard.

"An outlaw! On your first mission! And a monster house! To think that this was simply an item-retrieval mission," the Alakazam growled, pacing around his room. Sterling watched him nervously; he was truly a terrifying sight when angry.

"Strange things are going on here. That Scyther outlaw easily escaped Team Earthquake… Team Serpent came back from Thunder Grassland yesterday with their first failed mission in a year…" the headmaster muttered to himself. "…must ask Auriane and Kaizen… Mt. Aura… yes, might know…"

_Huh? _Sterling pricked his ears, hearing a few interesting things among the rambling. He glanced curiously at Blaize, who looked equally as befuddled.

"Uh, sir," Lyric said politely, cutting through Kalazar's rant, "I was wondering if I could take Team Storm to the infirmary to get their injuries checked over. And then we'll go prepare for tomorrow's mission and eat dinner. Is that all right?"

"Yes, yes. Go off, now. I need to see my teammates." Kalazar straightened up. "You are excused. Go talk to Vale, and check on Raonix, all that."

Lyric seemed pleased after that and drifted off right away to visit her fellow team member. Sterling and Blaize followed at a slower pace, both of them confused.

Finally, Blaize voiced both of their thoughts aloud. "…what in Arceus's name was _that_ about?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>

_And we finally have a plot! (…or, at least, a few signs of __its existence.)_

_Any guesses as to what the Wind is, PMD players~? :D_

_Good news, guys. My "ban" is over, so no more slow updates... until the Internet snares me in its highly addictive trap again, of course._


	13. Glitches and Eavesdroppers

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

_**Glitches and Eavesdroppers**_

* * *

><p>"Strange things are happening."<p>

Three figures stood together in the middle of the bridge, two of which were leaning on the edge to peer at the water below. The other, an Alakazam, was pacing worriedly. He wore an unsettled expression, and his paws were clenched into fists.

"We know," said the Lucario gazing calmly into the restless water. "You've told us about all that's been happening. I agree; things are going wrong." His relaxed tone only seemed to aggravate his golden-furred companion, though.

Kalazar whirled to face him, giving an eerie hiss. It was obvious that he had been driven to his wit's end with anxiety. "I have been sending letters and asking around town _all day long, _but no one knows or cares! And you two – _you two – _why, you don't care at all!"

The Blaziken sighed tiredly and removed his gaze from the river. "You're under far too much stress, Kal. I think you need a vacation," he said in a weary tone.

"_VACATION?" _Kalazar exploded, throwing his paws into the air in outrage. "Something's clearly going v_ery_ wrong, and you want me to take a _vacation?"_

The tension in the air seemed to increase as the Alakazam glowered at his teammates in turn, the spoons clutched in his hands beginning to give off an eerie glow.

"Kalazar," Auriane growled warningly, a strange light forming around one of his own paws. "We understand what has been going on, and have been doing our part as well. Do you think that we would really neglect a matter of such importance?

Kaizen narrowed his eyes, fixing Kalazar with a serious glare. "Not only have we lost contact with the residents of Mt. Aura, but mystery dungeons are occurring all over the land, very high-ranked teams are failing in their missions, and other towns are undergoing various troubles as well. We are_ not_ ignoring this."

There was silence.

Then Kalazar sighed, covering his face with his paws. "…I am under too much stress. It is affecting my temper," he muttered into his fur.

"Clearly," said Kaizen with dignity, straightening himself up. "You know what? I am switching duties with you for the next week. You'll work with Auriane at the Dojo and I'll be the headmaster for a short while. It's usually quiet, and fighting helps just about everyone keep their minds clear."

Kalazar made a grateful sound and sank against the railing, leaning heavily on the wood. "…that would help. Thank you."

The three friends watched the river in silence, just letting themselves relax for a moment – however short it might be. The time they had to get away from the typical drama of Newleaf Town was running out, which became clear from the sinking sun.

Finally, Auriane spoke, breaking the peaceful silence and once again bringing the conversation back to a very serious topic.

"Do any of you think that the current troubles have anything to do with the reappearance of…" He trailed off there, evidently reluctant to say much more.

Kalazar removed his paws, looking strangely at the Lucario, but gave a slight nod in reply. Kaizen sighed and nodded as well, clenching his clawed fists.

"I doubt that it's a coincidence," the Blaziken muttered. "Yet, it's hardly a danger… especially considering the last one who could… use… it."

"In my opinion, we should put aside our stereotypes and see how this develops," Kalazar said quietly. "The town was never the same after he left."

It was clear that the other two knew exactly who Kalazar meant by "he" by the looks that they exchanged.

"…I hate how we can't say his name," Kaizen growled.

Auriane's gaze drifted over to his partner and narrowed imperceptibly. "Eavesdroppers lurk around every corner," he said softly.

"As much as I hate to say it, the sun is going down. We can arrange another meeting tomorrow," Kalazar said tiredly. "I have to tell the Academy that I'll be at the Dojo for the next week. No doubt they won't be pleased about my absence."

"They regard you as a father figure," Kaizen remarked with amusement, pulling away from the railing and setting off down the bridge. "That's kind of funny. I remember the happy-go-lucky Abra you used to be… it's hard to imagine you as a big, important Pokémon, even now."

"Oh, look who's talking," Auriane scoffed. "You used to be the most chipper Torchic in the Eastern region – Kalazar was practically _serious _compared to you."

"At least we had a sense of humor," Kalazar told him in a dry tone. "You were all 'must do this, must do that, no time for fun' back then. Even now, you still act like that."

* * *

><p>As the serious conversation dissolved into friendly banter, a figure moved out from the shadows of the field. The Pokémon scanned the field with sharp golden eyes, watching the trio as they moved across the bridge – blissfully unaware that an eavesdropper had been there the whole time, despite the fact that they had taken precautions to avoid such a thing.<p>

The hidden listener stepped backwards into the tall grass, disguised almost immediately by the swaying grass.

"…time to burn," the Pokémon whispered to the wind.

Golden eyes flared once more before becoming hidden completely by the grass again. Yet the words remained, low and ominous.

_Time to burn._

* * *

><p>The mission room was surprisingly empty just before dinner. All of the other Pokémon, it seemed, were crowded in the cafeteria. But their absence only made the task at hand easier – hunting for decent jobs (preferably one that didn't include outlaws and monster houses).<p>

Lyric hummed faintly to herself, drifting before the job bulletin board. Beside her sat Sterling and Blaize, both of them also searching for possible missions.

"Here's one," Blaize said abruptly, reaching forward and pulling down a small sheet of paper. The request for help was written in a very messy scrawl:

_My dear friend, Trillion the Meowth, has recently gone missing. Last I heard, she was going to visit her sickly mother's home in Sandy Shores Village, but had to pass through a mystery dungeon if she wanted to arrive quickly. Seeing as she has not arrived at her mother's yet and has not returned, I have come to the conclusion that she has become lost._

_Please save my friend. I have been worrying about her safety._

_Velvet the Purrloin_

And, beneath it, was the official job request form:

_Client: Velvet the Purrloin, resident of Newleaf Town_

_Objective: Find Trillion the Meowth_

_Place: Mossy Trail_

_Floor: Unknown; thought to be close to the end_

_Difficulty: E_

_Reward: 500 Poké, 1 Heal Seed, 5 Sharp Thorns_

"The reward money is less than what we got last time," Sterling said skeptically, narrowing his eyes at the mission form. "That reminds me – where _is _our reward, anyways?"

"It was deposited in the bank at the town," Lyric answered. "I'll take you there after dinner to withdraw your money and buy some supplies for tomorrow's exploration – I can't be in charge of restocking the bag every day, anyways."

Blaize wasn't paying attention to their conversation – a fact that was proven when he cut in suddenly. "Ooh, a Heal Seed and Sharp Thorns? Those could be useful."

Sterling felt incredibly stupid. "…what are those?"

"They're items mostly used in mystery dungeons," Blaize replied promptly. "Heal Seeds can heal any status problem. Though they aren't too rare, they can get very expensive. Sharp Thorns are used for throwing at enemy Pokémon when you don't want to waste your energy."

Lyric nodded approvingly at his explanation, drifting up and down in midair. She glanced again at the request form. Sterling, following her line of sight, noticed that she was looking at the dungeon name.

"Is it easy enough?" he asked curiously.

"It should be. There are a few ghost and dark-types along Mossy Trail, but your ranged attacks should be good enough to fight them off," Lyric replied. "Let's take this mission. I'll inform Kalazar that we're going on this one, and you two can go to the cafeteria and get some food. Dinner's nearly ready."

It only took that last sentence for Sterling to realize how hungry he was. Exchanging delighted glances, Blaize and Sterling bolted for the door.

* * *

><p>"Hey, guys! How was your first mission?"<p>

Lyre was already eating something that resembled a berry salad, picking delicately at the pieces of fruit. Ariana, however, was evidently holding off on her own dinner until Team Storm arrived. She charged over to them with tails waving and a bright smile.

Sterling glanced at Blaize, wearing a playful smile. The Charmander flashed him a quick grin before turning back to the fellow fire-type. "It was unusual, that's for sure. I'd tell you more about it now, but I'm starved," he said dramatically, waving his claws.

"Okay, then! There's lots of good stuff tonight," Ariana chirped, happily bouncing on her paws. She trotted back to Lyre, who looked up briefly before continuing to eat.

"Where's Team Fidelity?" Blaize asked curiously.

"Still on their mission," Ariana answered. "Azure Plains is a pretty long trip, after all. It will take them another day to get back here. That's routine for the more experienced teams, though. They're used to sleeping overnight in mystery dungeons."

The Mime Jr. came back around, balancing undoubtedly heavy plates on their small hands. Sterling selected a chunk of meat that Blaize identified as Sawsbuck and dug in, eager to fill his stomach after the tiring mission from earlier.

He didn't concentrate much on the flavors of his food, though, choosing to remember the previous day instead. There was no doubt that it had been very draining, and it had definitely been unexpected, but he liked to imagine that their client – Cerulean the Wingull, if he remembered correctly – had been pleased to get her Stamina Band back.

"_Oh, thank you, Team Storm! I know that you'll be really great one day!" _he imagined her gushing, flapping about while holding her ribbon. _"How can I ever reward you?"_

"Daydreaming, much?"

A dry voice broke into his thoughts. Sterling jolted a bit before glancing at the speaker – Lyre, who was looking at him with a decidedly smug expression.

"What, am I not allowed to think anymore?" he asked grumpily.

Blaize cackled from next to him. He shot the Charmander a glare for the lack of support. "Well, Ster, you should've seen your expression. I've never seen you look _happy _before."

Had he really looked happy?

Maybe this whole rescuing business did please him more than he'd originally thought.

"You're looking distant again, Ster!" Ariana chirped. "Come on and eat! Our dinner time is limited, you know!"

At the sound of this, the Shinx began wolfing down his food much faster than before.

Lyric returned to the sight of all four Pokémon engaged in a vicious eating contest. She sighed before floating to a spot next to Ariana, shaking her head.

"You're going to regret that soon…"

* * *

><p>After they finished (and, true to Lyric's words, Sterling was feeling sick), Lyric immediately dragged Team Storm away from the cafeteria to visit Newleaf Town. She paused once so that she could levitate a few pieces of fruit into her mouth before continuing.<p>

Now that the sun had set, the streets were not quite as busy as before. However, there still was a fair amount of Pokémon about, though – seeing as none of them were as hurried as in the morning – they frequently stopped to chat with others.

Lyric's pace slowed as she exited the Academy building. She began floating along at a much more manageable speed, though she didn't halt once.

To Sterling's dismay, they were heading to the town square. Though he knew that he wouldn't be ridiculed for his eye color anymore, crowds were still unbearable. This one was only tolerable because of how relaxed the Pokémon seemed to be.

"This is the square, as you two most likely know," Lyric announced, coming to a halt. "There are only a few important shops here – the Market, Nidoqueen's Storage, Honchkrow's Bank, and the Porygon Linking Shop."

The first one that they visited was arguably the largest (and had the longest line). It sold items for both normal residents and the rescuers and explorers of the Academy, and was run by a Minun and a Plusle. They didn't seem cowed by the rush of customers at all.

Lyric nodded her head towards them, producing a pleasant chiming sound. "Those two are twins. They've been in business for a lot longer than most Pokémon tend to think, and they're very good at what they do. You'll be visiting their store often."

She showed them the Storage next. It was a fairly formidable building run by an intimidating Nidoqueen and her assistant, a Nidorina, who was less menacing but still had a death glare that would effectively destroy any thought of stealing from the storage.

"Ivy and Rayna are both relatives of Nettle's," Lyric explained. "Ivy's even accompanied Team Earthquake on missions before; she's a force to be reckoned with." She nodded her head towards the Nidoqueen, chiming again.

Sterling looked carefully at Ivy. She had the same aura of confidence around her that Nettle did, and even had that comforting motherly air. They were definitely related. Rayna, on the other hand, had nothing maternal about her – there was a toughness to the Nidorina that was definitely impressive.

They moved on to Honchkrow's Bank next. It wasn't particularly intimidating, but Sterling noticed how many ghosts were circling the building that housed the money. The Honchkrow who ran it was smiling in a friendly way, though.

"That would be the bank. It's heavily guarded, but that's for safety," Lyric said. "Dusk's a nice guy, but his assistant Haze is a bit… strange." She chimed with amusement. "Haze is a Duskull. He's overly fond of pranks."

"A prankster running a bank? Is it just me, or does that sound like a recipe for disaster?" Blaize asked uneasily, eyeing the building that stored their 1000 Poké with worry.

"Dusk keeps him in line," Lyric assured him. "Next, the Linking shop. I'll take you to meet the Cybers, in fact – everyone loves them."

The Linking shop was run by a trio of red-and-blue Pokémon – Porygon-Z, Porygon2, and Porygon. Apparently, they were virtual Pokémon who had been created by humans a long time ago. Lyric confirmed that they were mechanical-types and, therefore, could not hear her when she talked telepathically.

"Hello, customers," buzzed the Porygon in a monotone, drifting forward. "Welcome to the Linking Shop."

"Analyzing Pokémon," the Porygon-Z said in a unsettlingly mechanical tone. "Analyzing… processing information… one client is recognized. Lyricial the Chimecho. Charmander and Shinx accompany Lyricial the Chimecho." Then it gave off a series of sparks and began laughing maniacally. "Hihihihi, I'm Cyber- BZZT-ERROR ALERT-Z, but you can call me Zee!"

"PLEASE EXCUSE HIM," said the Porygon2, observing Blaize and Sterling's expressions. "THE PORYGON-Z SPECIES IS NOT AS SUCCESSFUL AS ITS PREDECESSORS WERE. THEY MALFUNCTION QUITE OFTEN AND BEHAVE IN ODD WAYS."

"Odd? I'm not – BBZZZTTT – odd!"

"ANYWAYS. I AM REFERRED TO AS CYBER2, AND THIS PORYGON IS SIMPLY CYBER."

Blaize looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Uhh… nice to meet you?"

"Hi, you three," Lyric chirped. "These two are Blaize the Charmander and Sterling the Shinx. They're new to the Newleaf Academy."

"Storing information," beeped Zee. "Storing… customers recognized. Blaize the Charmander and Sterling the Shinx, students of the Newleaf Academy." He made an alarmingly high-pitched beep before sparking again. "Hope to see you again, thanks for coming – BZZT!"

"They are not leaving," Cyber said patiently. "As for you two… I expect that you want to know about the nature of our shop?"

"…that would be useful," Sterling muttered. He was thoroughly startled by the behavior of the glitchy Porygon-Z and had no clue how to react.

"LINKING IS A NEW FORM OF TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS US TO LINK ATTACKS TOGETHER. FOR EXAMPLE, IF A CLIENT WANTS TO USE TWO MOVES AT ONCE, THEN WE CAN USE ELECTRICAL SHOCKS TO MAKE IT SO THAT THE CLIENT AUTOMATICALLY USES THOSE TWO MOVES IN A ROW," Cyber2 replied.

Sterling took one look at Blaize's horrified expression and broke into hysterical laughter.

Zee began laughing along with him. "BZZZZZT – I love – SYSTEM MALFUNCTION BZZZT – funny things!" he cackled.

"Blaize, try not to grimace. You look… strange," Lyric advised.

Blaize blushed fiercely and quickly replaced his expression with a neutral smile. "Uh… linking… sounds painful."

"It can be," Cyber agreed. "Rewiring the brain to react to a situation in a different way can hurt. We take care not to distribute too many volts of electricity into our clients' bodies, however."

"UNFORTUNATELY, OUR SERVICES CAN HURT SEVERELY TO THOSE WEAK AGAINST ELECTRICITY. BLAIZE THE CHARMANDER, TAKE CARE TO LINK BEFORE YOU EVOLVE INTO CHARIZARD," Cyber2 added.

Zee's sparking stopped for a moment, and he gave a loud buzzing noise. "BZZZZzzzzzzRRRTTT – good morning, friends!"

"…CYBER-Z," said Cyber2 patiently, "I DO THINK YOU SHOULD RECHARGE YOUR SYSTEMS."

"SYSTEM – ERR – recharge, recharge~" chirped the Porygon-Z, spinning in a circle before floating into their small building.

Lyric was barely suppressing a smile. "Thanks, you three. We'll definitely be back as soon as we need help with linking. Have a great day," she said pleasantly, drifting off.

Sterling found that, not only was he slightly disturbed, his fur was literally crackling with static electricity. "…that stupid Porygon-Z," he grumbled to himself, feeling the sparks jump off of his coat with each step.

"Why don't we discharge some energy before buying anything?" Lyric suggested with a smile.

Blaize rolled his eyes. "You're an evil little bell-demon, you are," he said, pointing at her with a claw.

"What did I do?" Lyric asked innocently, floating after them.

Sterling didn't even dignify that with a response. He came to a halt before a tree, which was a fair distance away from the busy town square, and dug his paws into the ground.

Lyric barely avoided being shocked as he discharged all of his electrical energy into the earth (and at her).

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Plot in the beginning and filler at the end – this is probably the strangest chapter I've ever written. We get to meet Zee, though. He is quite possibly the best character I have ever created. :D_

_Dungeon time next chapter! Prepare to see a reappearance from our mysterious eavesdropper…_


	14. Issues

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

_**Issues**_

* * *

><p><em><em>Sterling lay awake late that night, tossing and turning restlessly in his hammock. In the initial rush of the day, it had been hard to stop and seriously think about things; but now, he was free to ponder all that had happened. What was at the forefront of his thoughts, though, was the outlaw Nuzleaf that had appeared so suddenly – so _randomly._

It wasn't a coincidence. Somehow, he knew that and was sure of it. He was absolutely certain that the Nuzleaf had appeared at the end of Sunrise Meadow for a reason. He couldn't say exactly _why _he was sure of this, but he was. There was no doubt about it.

He shivered a little. Who would have sent the Nuzleaf to attack two unsuspecting rookies and their equally unaware mentor? Were some darker forces behind this? Angry legendaries, possibly, or maybe vengeful figures from someone's past?

_That's all stupid. _Life wasn't some fairy tale, after all.

But even if those ideas were unlikely, what about the Nuzleaf's ominous words? He had said something… something about being one of his kind. But how was that possible? Sterling was _nothing _like that criminal. He looked completely different, probably acted different…

There was nothing that connected the two of them. Sterling had never seen the grass-type before in his life; it was probably just some side effect of being a criminal… maybe something was warping the Nuzleaf's brain.

Those possibilities still did not comfort him. In fact, they only made his mind churn more, and his whole body seemed to burn with his worry. His eyes opened and he stared wildly across the dark room, barely able to make out Blaize's faint outline in the shadows.

"Blaize?" he whispered frantically.

He wasn't entirely expecting a reply, seeing as it was so late. However, it was immensely relieving to hear his friend's now-familiar voice drifting back to him – a tired voice, but it was still Blaize's. "What is it?"

Sterling paused momentarily, struggling to figure out how to phrase his worries. Eventually, he went with a much simpler path: "Blaize, I'm scared."

The room fell uncomfortably silent. Sterling looked harder across the room, only able to make out Blaize's outline because of the Charmander's flickering tail-flame. He heard a rustling noise and saw that his friend was sitting up.

"What are you scared of?" Blaize asked finally, holding his tail in his paws so that the weak flame did not touch the hammock. There was a tremble in his voice; it was clear that hearing Sterling voice his fears had unsettled the Charmander as well.

"Of change, I guess," Sterling admitted, shuffling his paws on the hammock. "And… of everything that's been happening. Like the Nuzleaf… I don't think that his appearance was a coincidence." He didn't state everything that gnawed at him, though; as much as he trusted Blaize, he simply had to keep some things to himself.

"…I don't think it was a coincidence either," Blaize said after a short hesitation. "And everything else that's been happening… no, it's all connected somehow. That's what I believe. But it's our job, as rescuers, to solve these problems."

His words were oddly comforting, and they were very true. That was what Sterling had signed up for – his duty wasn't just to help other Pokémon; he was supposed to fix important issues as well, some of which would probably matter more than the problem they were facing now.

Sterling curled up on the hammock, feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him. He murmured a quiet "thank you" to his partner before allowing himself to slip into dreams.

* * *

><p>"WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING! TIME FOR WORK!"<p>

_RINGRINGRINGRINGRIIIIING!_

Sterling fell out of his hammock again, landing with a loud thump on the ground. He stayed there until the blast of sound faded, and even then his ears rang. With a grumpy growl, he stumbled to his paws and made his wobbly way towards Blaize's hammock.

The Charmander looked exhausted; as exhausted as Sterling felt, to be truthful. There were shadows under his eyes, and his tail-flame – though admittedly brighter than the night before – was burning quite feebly. He managed a friendly smile, though, as he hopped out of his hammock.

Then the door swung open and Lyric burst in again. Misreading the expressions on the duo's faces, she began apologizing frantically. "Oh, I'm so sorry! This must be so horrible for you… such a bad wake-up… it's necessary, I'm sorry…"

"It's fine," Blaize said, holding up a paw as if to stop the flow of words. "We're okay. Let's just go to breakfast now, all right?"

It seemed that Team Guardian had skipped breakfast, but Team Fidelity had most certainly returned. The trio looked even more exhausted than Sterling and Blaize, but there was a definite aura of pride about them. They had most certainly captured their outlaw.

"Your mission went successfully?" Lyric asked, looking at them and evidently coming to the same conclusion. There was pride in her voice, too; perhaps the members of the Academy were more like a family than Sterling had originally thought.

"It sure did," Flis replied happily, her candle-flame flickering. "The Lombre was really easy to beat."

"There were some difficulties in the dungeon, though," Skaris said with a shake of his metallic head. "While we were resting for the night at the waypoint, a couple of ferals managed to sneak in and steal our food supplies."

Lyric gasped. "Ferals took your food at the waypoint? But how did they make it out of the mystery dungeon?"

Flis shrugged – or did the ghost-candle equivalent of it. "We don't know why they chose to take our food rather than attacking us, either. It's just another weird event in a long line of them, though. We're not too worried."

Sterling exchanged anxious glances with Blaize.

He pondered what was going on all through breakfast, barely tasting his bacon. It was a worrying situation – even Kalazar had gotten upset over it, and _that_ had not been a pretty sight. It should have been against the law for important Pokémon to freak out that much…

"A Poké for your thoughts?"

He blinked, feeling disoriented, and found himself looking into the half-amused face of Lyric. _What in Arceus's name is that supposed to mean?_

"Never mind," Lyric sighed. "Just don't get too distracted while we're working, okay?"

"Speaking of work… how did your first mission go?" Raze asked in his growly voice, looking up from his meal with interest.

While Blaize and Lyric recounted what had happened in detail – a long-winded explanation that was altogether very boring, seeing as Sterling knew exactly what happened – the Shinx focused more on eating. Lyric was right; it wouldn't do anyone much good if he was lost in thought during their mission.

At the very end of breakfast, a familiar Pokémon emerged from the headmaster's quarters – a fire-type bird with a pleased look on his face. _Kaizen?_

"Hey, everyone," Kaizen called, dragging everyone's attention to him. "I'm pretty sure you all recognize me – I _am_ famous, after all." Oddly enough, this statement didn't sound conceited at all. "For those noobs who don't, I'm Kaizen of Team Never, and I am taking over the Academy for the week."

"I can foresee some trouble," Nettle said loudly, her usual warm expression replaced by a grin that actually looked quite devious.

Kaizen bowed to her. "I'd be happy to deliver."

Though their friendly banter was amusing, Lyric actually looked quite worried. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Sterling turned back to her, not daring to ask what was wrong. It was Blaize who asked the question: "What's the matter, Lyric?"

"Just why isn't Kalazar here?" the Chimecho replied gravely.

* * *

><p>With those concerning thoughts in mind, the group of three said their farewells to Team Fidelity and set off for Mossy Trail. It wasn't a long walk to the slightly gloomy forest in which the mystery dungeon lay, but it was long enough for Sterling to grow progressively worried over what was happening.<p>

_I need to focus, or I'll get destroyed today, _he thought to himself, growing furious at his lack of self-control. Despite whatever measures he took to avoid the thought of the current issues, his thoughts kept drifting back to the Nuzleaf, Kalazar's absence, the ferals' ambush on Team Fidelity, and everything else that had been going wrong…

"Stop, Ster! The mystery dungeon begins right there!" Blaize cried, shoving the Shinx back from what appeared to be a perfectly normal patch of grass.

"It – oh, okay." Sterling felt too disoriented to snap at him for saying "Ster" again. He looked in confusion at the forest that began just ahead.

To be truthful, it was barely a forest. The trees were scattered about quite randomly all over, though they were large and leafy enough to cast the ground into shadow. Clumps of moss hung from their branches, occasionally littering the ground.

The most disturbing of it all, though, was the lichen that speckled the tree trunks. It actually appeared to glow in the gloom.

Again, Sterling felt his fur prickling with that typical mystery dungeon tension. He looked back at Lyric with concern, suddenly finding that he was unwilling to venture into this dark forest.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Blaize asked suddenly, breaking the awkward silence. "Let's go."

And with that, he trotted through the invisible barrier, immediately fading from sight as he stepped into the grass. Sterling leaped after the Charmander, his star-tipped tail streaming behind him, and Lyric followed at a slower pace.

As they ventured through the first floor, Sterling still couldn't shake his uneasy feeling, which hung over him like a storm cloud.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Who else hates homework, guys? D:_

_Well. Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Plot rears its long-awaited head at last here, even if everything is short…_


	15. Sometimes

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

"_**Sometimes"**_

* * *

><p>The first thing that Sterling noticed when he stepped into the dungeon was the <em>darkness. <em>The few shafts of light that managed to leak through the treetops were dim and weak, barely illuminating anything on the forest floor. And there were shadows everywhere, stretching out from the trunks of trees, quivering madly whenever the breeze stirred the plants.

The next thing that registered in his brain was the pudgy, cream-colored monkey running straight at him, throwing back its head and uttering a loud battle cry.

Sterling dropped lower, placing equal weight on all four paws, and easily twisted out of the way when the Mankey charged at him. With electricity sparking in his fur, he lunged at the feral, but Blaize had already beaten him to it. Giving a fierce growl, the Charmander scorched the angry Pokémon with an Ember.

Shaking his head, Sterling looked up from the fallen Mankey. The battle had cleared his mind nicely, and he found that he was eager for more.

"Great job," complimented Lyric, floating ahead. "You two have definitely improved since yesterday." She gave them both a smile.

Blaize flexed his claws. "I feel a lot stronger," he replied. "What about you, Ster?"

"Fabulous," grumbled the Shinx, hating the stupid nickname. He wasn't lying, though; it was a relief to not be worrying about the Nuzleaf's words every five seconds. He was eager to battle something else.

With a flick of the tail, he strode onwards, following Lyric into the rest of the dungeon.

* * *

><p>Mossy Trail was an eight-floor-long dungeon, but – unlike Sunrise Meadow – its floors barely changed at all as they ventured through it. Each one was just another segment of a long, winding path that was lined with trees. There was moss that seemed to be draped across every branch, lichen that glowed very eerily, and plenty of scraggly undergrowth. There was no change.<p>

Except for the ferals, of course.

About three floors in, the inhabitants changed from the standard Rattata and Mankey (which were annoyingly common) and were replaced by a variety of birds, bugs, and _ghosts. _

"Misdreavus!" chimed Lyric in alarm, diving away from the drifting menace. As if sensing her fear, the ghost gave a delighted cackle.

Of all the dungeon Pokémon, it was the Gastly, Misdreavus, and Shuppet who posed the biggest threat. Not only were they higher-leveled than the rest of the ferals, but they were resistant to plenty of attacks and were fast. Not to mention the fact that they were intelligent (for dungeon Pokémon, anyways), and took advantage of weak points.

"Let's fry it to a crisp," Blaize growled, his tail-flame flaring with excitement. Though Sterling hated the stupid ghosts, the Charmander loved to fight them.

Sterling took a moment to charge up his electrical energy, feeling the static crackling in his fur. The Misdreavus, giving a haunting cackle, floated towards him at a stunningly fast pace – when Blaize jumped in and sent a wave of flames its way.

Though the fire didn't appear to burn the ghost in any way, the Misdreavus was undoubtedly hurt by the Ember. With a hissing sound, it turned to face Blaize – and was promptly shocked from behind with a Spark that Sterling had loosed.

"Okay, finish it," Blaize called over the crying of the Misdreavus, which was circling back and forth and lobbing blobs of psychic energy at him. He beat back each one with several Embers, but it was clear that his defensive strategy was draining his energy.

Sterling's silver eyes flared for a moment, and he felt energy building up in his claws. With a fearsome yowl, he lunged, smashing into the ghost with a powerful Night Slash.

"Wonderful!" congratulated Lyric, though she continued to stare warily at the fallen Misdreavus. "I'm sorry I can't help you more here – ghosts are one of my biggest weaknesses, and the mentors are only supposed to interfere when there's real danger. You two have been doing fine on your own, though."

Sterling paid no attention to her compliments; all that really mattered now was getting out of this stupid dungeon. He was already getting tired of the lack of light. With a growl rumbling in the back of his throat, he said, "Which floor are we on again?"

Blaize rolled his eyes. "It's the _fourth, _for the millionth time. Are you trying to act stupid, or what?"

The Charmander received a jolt of electricity for _that_ remark, and – with a glance around to see if there were any more ghosts – the trio set off again.

* * *

><p>After shocking a group of cawing Murkrow into submission, Sterling was in a much better mood. There was something about battling that gave him a wonderful sense of exhilaration, as well as an adrenaline rush – and plowing through annoyingly squawky crows was always fun.<p>

He trotted through the dark grass with a spring in his step, pausing only once to growl threateningly at an Aipom. The curious monkey retreated into the trees, appearing to have been frightened off – until it leaped down from above and him in the face.

"Stupid – fat – _monkey!" _Sterling used Spark, electrifying both his fur and the Aipom, and then spun around. His teeth appeared to take on a new sheen, and he clamped his jaws around the feral's prehensile tail.

With a wail, the Aipom tore free of his grip and sprang off into the trees. Blaize charged forwards and fired a low-powered Ember at it, just to make sure that the hostile feral didn't return.

"So you've learned Bite?" Blaize asked finally, turning to face Sterling with a grin.

"I guess." Sterling opened and closed his mouth, almost experimentally, his ears twitching as he did so. The energy from the Bite didn't return, but he didn't really expect it to – it did take a while for him to master new moves, after all.

Lyric, who had been drifting ahead, turned back and circled them slowly. Her eyes seemed to glow in the shadows. "Let's hurry up. We have to find that Meowth."

"Which floor are we on?"

Blaize groaned dramatically, but Lyric just looked amused. With a tinkling laugh, she floated a little ways ahead, looking off into the shadowy forest. "We're on the fifth right now. We should be finding the Meowth sometime soon."

That information was pleasing. At least _this _dungeon, populated as it was by annoying ghosts, was progressing quicker than Sunrise Meadow. The lack of Demonsprouts was a wonderful thing – the Misdreavus were _easy _compared to those evil plants.

…sort of.

Nevertheless, looking on the bright side definitely pleased Sterling. He trotted along after Chimecho with his tail waving back and forth, ears pricked for the sound of enemies approaching.

Then there was a loud rustling sound, followed by various growls – and, most ominously, a blinding flash of bluish light.

Sterling whipped around, his claws out and ready for attack, before he realized that it was _Blaize _who had created the flash. The Charmander was facing a Pidove, breathing a stream of fire at it – but the flames were _blue, _not the typical red.

With a shriek, the Pidove fell. Oddly enough, it hadn't really been charred or burnt by the blue fire, but it had evidently taken plenty of damage.

Lyric chimed with approval. "That's Dragon Rage, I believe."

Blaize looked pleased, clenching and unclenching his claws with glee. "So I'm not the only one who's learned a new move… that's awesome!" His tail-flame sparked and increased in size, only making it more obvious how delighted he was.

"Dragon Rage is a long-range move, but it has set damage. It should work for now, but I would recommend getting rid of it in the future," Lyric announced. "The same goes for Bite. They have stronger counterparts, and you two can eventually learn them."

"I'll train, then," Sterling declared.

As if on cue, a Gastly swooped from the mossy trees above, cackling maniacally. The duo of Pokémon pounced eagerly on it, battering the feral with their newly-learned attacks. Sterling, though he was finding it difficult to use his Bite _too _effectively, struck the final blow.

Lyric laughed, a tinkling, echoing sound that seemed to vibrate deep within her. "You two are getting energetic about this."

"Ghost-hunting is fun," Blaize replied cheerfully, swinging his flame-tipped tail back and worth as he walked.

* * *

><p>From there, the dungeon only got more annoying – poisonous bugs such as Weedle and Venonat started swarming around, and the ghosts grew stronger – but it was definitely good for training. On the seventh floor, Sterling was already able to use his Bite (most of the time), and Blaize had mastered Dragon Rage.<p>

After scouring the entire eighth floor for any sign of the Meowth, Lyric sighed and gave up. "I guess we'll just have to go to the end."

Sterling understood immediately. If they didn't find the lost Meowth at the dungeon's end, then Team Storm would have failed their mission. And – despite the fact that it was inevitable – it was always hard to accept defeat.

They searched again for the stairs, thoroughly frying a few Oddish on the way. Oddly enough, the dungeon seemed to have shifted a bit while they were in it, and it took quite a while before they found the corridor leading to the staircase.

"The Wind will be blowing soon," Lyric was murmuring to herself. "Yes, we don't have a choice." She ignored the curious looks from Sterling and Blaize.

"I wish she would tell us what the Wind is," Blaize muttered to Sterling, trotting over to the stairs and placing one foot on it.

Sterling touched his paws to the steps as well, preparing to climb up them. He felt a strange twinge of unease whenever someone mentioned "the Wind," though he couldn't quite explain it. "Maybe we'd be better off not knowing," he replied in an equally low voice.

The Charmander didn't reply; perhaps he felt the same.

* * *

><p>The end of the dungeon turned out to be a small clearing, ringed by a group of moss-covered trees. In the distance, a small path led from the open space, weaving around the undergrowth.<p>

And, miraculously, there was a Meowth sleeping in a ball of creamy fur, dozing in the shade of the trees. As the trio approached cautiously, it twitched its ears and looked in their direction with bleary blue eyes. It yawned loudly, rising into a sitting position.

"Are you Trillion the Meowth?" Blaize asked, a hint of awe creeping into his tone. He had evidently not been the only one to think they would fail this mission.

"Sometimes," replied the feline in a voice that was definitely feminine. She shook her head, the ears flapping a bit, and then looked at them with new clarity in her blue eyes. There was something hostile in her expression, and it made Sterling uneasily.

_What kind of answer is "sometimes?" _the Shinx wondered, staring at the Meowth. She was watching him as well, appearing to be interested.

"Well, your friend Velvet the Purrloin requested that we find you. She said something about visiting your sick mother in Sandy Shores Village," Blaize said.

"My mother doesn't live in Sandy Shores," the Meowth replied.

_Meowth and Purrloin are pranksters. This may all be a game; don't take anything seriously. _Lyric's telepathic voice echoed in Sterling's head; he resisted the urge to wince and kept on staring ahead, looking evenly at the other feline.

"Uh…" Blaize's tail-flame flickered a bit. "So… who are you, then?" He glanced back at Lyric.

"Sometimes, I'm Trillion. Sometimes, I'm Velvet," the Meowth replied, twitching her curled tail. "Now, this is all very amusing, but I think I'll take my leave now."

And with that, she hopped to her paws and trotted leisurely away.

"…huh?" Sterling stared after her, unsure of how to react.

Lyric chimed with amusement. "I've had a few missions like that. Some clients enjoy toying with their rescuers – it's a part of our job, really. You should ask Team Earthquake about the playful Yamask that they dealt with…"

"Did we fail our mission?" Blaize asked abruptly, speaking up as soon as he heard Team Earthquake's name mentioned (he was evidently still terrified of his idols).

"No. I'll tell Kalazar what happened. This kind of thing happens more regularly than you'd expect," Lyric told them.

Sterling, despite how confused he was, had to laugh at Blaize's expression.

* * *

><p>The mission seemed to have taken much longer than the Sunrise Meadow one, but – somehow – the group of three arrived back at the Academy just after lunchtime. There was still food being served, though only a few teams were around to eat.<p>

Lyric led Team Storm over to one of the emptier tables (it was occupied only by two Pokémon, a Golbat and a Roselia). As Sterling and Blaize picked their seats, she drifted across the room in search of a Mime Jr. who could get them food.

"Hello there," the Roselia said pleasantly, looking over at them. "You two must be Team Storm."

Sterling found it a little unsettling how every Academy member knew their names, thanks to that accursed bulletin board. He simply stared back at her, tail twitching back and forth.

"Yep, we're Team Storm," Blaize said cheerfully.

"You two must be doing well to arrive so quickly after a mission." The Roselia crossed her… arms…? roses…? "That, or the temporal distortion in mystery dungeons must have been working with you today."

"I think it's the latter," Sterling replied in a flat tone.

The Golbat leaned over, grinning at them. "You'll remember this day fondly at one point. The time distortion usually messes up your day instead of making it better."

Blaize grinned at that.

"Well, my name's Taint, after my wonderful poison abilities," said the Golbat with a flourish, "and my teammate is Blossom, or Bloss. We've also got another member, but he's off running errands. Together, we made up the fantastic Team Peril."

Despite himself, Sterling was starting to like this Golbat.

Lyric chose that time to return. She chimed happily upon spotting "Team Peril," greeting the two Pokémon with delight. "Oh, Bloss, how nice to see you! And Taint – still irritating the heck out of your clients?"

"Guilty as charged," replied Taint with a toothy grin, revealing his very sharp fangs.

"Well, the Mime Jr. refused to give us any food. I'll get some apples out of storage later, okay?" Lyric said, turning to Sterling and Blaize.

"That's fine," the Shinx answered. He had eaten an apple or two back in the dungeon and was confident that he could make it until dinner, though he was feeling the beginnings of hunger pangs.

Lyric seemed to hum, turning back to Team Peril with a strange expression on her face. "…I know that look," she said in an odd tone. "What's happened to you two? And where's Blurres?"

"Blur's putting our items back in storage," Blossom answered shortly, something hard creeping into her town. She didn't meet the Chimecho's eyes, choosing instead to look at the opposite wall.

Sterling's ears pricked. Something else was wrong here, though he had no clue if it was connected to the Nuzleaf or not.

"Isn't it obvious?" Taint asked sharply, ignoring the hiss of warning from his Roselia partner. "We failed a mission. In fact, we ran into the outlaw that put Raonix in the hospital."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Writer's block struck again, as well as inspiration. This "prank" mission is the first of many, but it's one of the more important ones… surprisingly enough, this matters quite a bit to the plot._

_As for the fail cliffhanger… it's horrible, but important as well. _

_Anyways – have you guys heard about the BW sequels? I was horrified at first, since Black 2 and White 2 were being made instead of a new PMD game/Gen 3 remake. Then I decided, "Meh, whatever, I'll get it." And now I can't wait for autumn to come. :/_

_Ah, those evil Pokémon game designers – always screwing with the fans…_


	16. Outlaws and More Outlaws

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

_**Outlaws and… More Outlaws**_

* * *

><p>The reaction was immediate and unexpected.<p>

Bloss whirled, the poisonous thorns around her arms uncurling, giving Taint a deadly glare that could probably boil water. Lyric gave a shrieking chime, nearly toppling out of the air and only catching herself at the last minute. Blaize clapped a paw to his mouth, looking shocked.

And the Drifloon floating into the room stopped dead, stunned.

Sterling looked around, tail twitching with confusion. Only Taint met his gaze; the Golbat seemed irritated by this reaction to his announcement, and huffed with annoyance when no one else met his eyes.

Bloss lowered her roses, though her expression didn't soften. "We've been told to keep that news confidential," she snapped, her previously lighthearted tone suddenly becoming angry. "Do you want to anger Kaizen? He _specifically _asked – "

Lyric recovered then, flushing a bit as she spoke. "Taint, you're disregarding a direct order from our headmaster, even if he's just substituting. That's unacceptable! We don't need news of this to _spread – _that'd cause mass chaos – "

Blaize turned to Sterling, his blue eyes huge. "That outlaw was really nasty. Not only did he give the Cacturne a serious wound, but he took out Team Earthquake _and _Team Peril. I've been hearing rumors about him around town, but I never thought…" He trailed off.

The Chimecho turned to him with glare that resembled Blossom's, her eyes narrowed angrily. She didn't even need to speak to voice her opinion: _This is why Kaizen wanted us to keep everything quiet._

Looking even more annoyed, Taint just shook his head and opened his mouth as if to speak. But everyone's words died in their throats when the Drifloon floated forwards, somehow giving off a menacing aura despite the fact that he was basically a balloon.

The group all quieted down, looking at him. Across the cafeteria, the others had silenced as well, but only to glance at what had previously been a very noisy gathering. They began chatting immediately, not noticing the intimidating presence of the Drifloon.

"I can't believe you said that, Taint," the ghost said flatly, giving his partner a cool stare.

"Lyric deserves to know, and her apprentices have to be aware of something of that magnitude," the Golbat answered calmly.

"Blurres." Lyric was clearly relieved to see him. "Blur, please talk some sense into him. I don't need my trainees to be frightened on their missions."

Sterling wasn't frightened – in fact, the opposite was true. All of this outlaw talk was beginning to interest him. Why was this criminal so difficult to apprehend? It shouldn't be _that_ hard…

Maybe this was connected with the Nuzleaf's appearance and Kalazar's reason for taking a break! And that Meowth – _she_ had seemed awfully suspicious – and that Wingull hadn't even ventured into the dungeon to look for her item. Maybe she was involved too…?

_No. _Some of that was just ridiculous. Sterling shook his head sharply. He was just getting paranoid now, though that tough outlaw was intriguing…

He was unaware that an argument had ended until Blurres or Blur or whatever spoke directly to him. (Taint was looking grumpy, but defeated.) "Hello. You must be Sterling, and I guess you're Blaize? You were all over the notice boards."

"Yep! Hi, Blurres!" chirped Blaize, returning to friendly mode as usual. There was a trace of tension in his broad grin, though, which made Sterling feel a little uneasy.

Blur extended one of his heart-shaped handle-things and shook Blaize's paw. "My name's Blurres, member of Team Peril, as you've probably already been told. Mostly everyone calls me Blur."

The Shinx looked awkwardly at the handle-paw when Blur turned towards him. To be perfectly honest, his balance wasn't the best, and shaking paws seemed like a recipe for trouble. He just gave an uneasy "Um" and looked away.

"Ignore Ster. He's a grump." Blaize was really trying to distract himself; it was obvious. "We're a good team, though."

Blur looked as amused as balloons can get. Lyric made a chiming noise, wearing a proud expression, and Bloss just crossed her roses with a faint smile.

Even though he had just steered the topic away from the outlaw, Blaize brought it up again. Despite his fear of the criminal, he was clearly just as eager to find out more as Sterling was. "So. Who is this outlaw person? I haven't heard much about him."

Sterling pricked his ears, looking pleadingly at Lyric. "Why can't you tell us? We won't freak out, I promise!"

"Kaizen ordered us not to say," Bloss replied coolly, breaking in before Taint could. (The Golbat gave her a withering look.)

At that moment, a Mime Jr. bounced over with a plate of food balanced on her paws. She looked with annoyance at the large group, grumbling something about how lunch was already over and her job was done until the evening.

Lyric ignored her, levitating a couple of berries over to the table. She began to eat, but slowly, as if the conversation had taken away her appetite.

Sterling sighed. It was clear that they wouldn't be able to coax any more information out of the older Pokémon.

"Uh, do you have any bacon?" he asked the Mime Jr. A taste of the meat would definitely cheer him up – food tended to do that. It was quite useful at times.

"No," she replied curtly. "That's only for _breakfast_. Were you born yesterday or something?"

Blaize snickered.

* * *

><p>As soon as their late lunch was over, Lyric dragged them over to the mission room. Luckily, there was almost nobody in it – Team Peril had accompanied them there, and a Dragonair was looking around the room, but they were the only ones.<p>

"Oh, _Arceus." _Blossom darted ahead, running straight for one of the boards. She snatched at a piece of paper, pulling it off violently and waving it at her teammates.

Sterling looked up at the Roselia, a little disturbed by her reaction. On the paper, there was a detailed picture of a smiling Treecko on the front, her arms crossed.

"A Scalding Pit mission! I can't believe it!" Bloss growled, pulling the paper out of Sterling's view. "How did a _grass-type _get into there? It's deadly hot in there, for Arceus's sake!"

"It's an outlaw notice," Taint observed calmly, earning himself a glare from his partner. "She's been taken hostage – wow, criminals are pretty low these days."

"We have to save the poor girl! Scalding Pit is _awful," _declared Bloss, flinging out both of her roses for emphasis (and conveniently dropping the paper as she did so). "Come on, guys. We have to get to the South _now."_

And with that, she rushed from the room.

Blur and Taint exchanged exasperated looks before charging (flying?) after her.

Lyric made a strange chiming sound. "Scalding Pit? That's a nasty place."

The ever-knowledgeable Blaize glanced at her, his tail-flame flickering with excitement. "I've heard that Scalding Pit is an underwater dungeon. They say that you have to access it through a stretch of boiling hot water!"

"Almost true," Lyric said. "It's located in the deserts of the South; everyone in that area knows to avoid it. And it's right that you can only enter the dungeon by swimming through a pit filled with boiling water. But it's not underwater – it's _underground, _really."

Blaize must have noticed Sterling's confused look. "So, Ster. Our land is pretty much divided into four parts – the North, South, East, and West. We're in the Western section right now, located pretty close to the coast."

Feeling stupid, Sterling simply nodded. He stared at the ground and wished that he had learned _something _about the world back with the tribe.

"We're getting off-topic," Lyric said airily, though there was a hint of… _something _in her tone. Was it suspicion? She didn't know about Sterling's past yet – it only made sense for her to be getting a little bit confused about his lack of knowledge.

"Yes, yes," Blaize agreed, rushing forward. "Which mission should we pick?"

Eager to change the subject, Sterling trotted up to one of the boards. He scanned the available missions; all of them seemed relatively similar – save this Pokémon, find that item, deliver those packages.

"Maybe we should try a proper outlaw-hunting job," Lyric mused from behind them.

It took a moment before Sterling comprehended what she had said. "Wait – _what?"_

"Don't yell," the Chimecho told him with a half-smile. "You'll disturb Ryulire." (Sterling assumed that "Ryulire" was the Dragonair.) "And yes – I think you two are perfectly strong enough to tackle a criminal. There are weaker thieves out there that shouldn't pose too much of a challenge."

Though they had beaten the Nuzleaf before, the prospect of apprehending a _real _outlaw was certainly a daunting one. Sterling just gaped at Lyric, unable to give voice to what he felt.

Blaize spoke for him. "Er… are you _sure _that's such a good idea?"

"You two are more than strong enough. Maybe training in the Dojo for a while could give you a little extra confidence," Lyric told them. "How about this – I'll pick out a mission, and you can train with Auriane for the rest of the day."

Sterling didn't like the sound of that idea – it sounded downright devious. But he couldn't turn down an opportunity to master his new Bite attack.

"Okay," he said reluctantly; Blaize nodded his head in agreement.

And that was how they ruined their afternoon.

* * *

><p>"More power!"<p>

Without warning, two flashes lit up the inside of the dojo. One was a brilliant reddish-orange; the other was a blinding shade of yellow. For a moment, it was far too bright to see – then the lights faded, revealing two panting Pokémon standing before a much larger one.

"_Again!"_

Sterling's fur crackled with static electricity as he lunged again, unleashing his attack at the air. The flaring energy was repelled by a strange bluish shield, bouncing back and crashing into a wave of flames. The two conflicting attacks canceled each other out.

"Again, and don't hit each other this time!"

Sterling used another Spark, aiming it further away from Blaize. The Charmander did likewise, his Ember attack getting nowhere near the electricity.

Though they managed to avoid each other, their aims were completely off. In fact, they missed Auriane altogether, hitting parts of the wall instead. Chunks of rock and metal were dislodged and fell noisily to the ground.

"That was pathetic! A Magikarp could attack better than you!"

In response, Sterling used Spark again. Next to him, Blaize was attacking as well – both of them made sure to add more power than before. In fact, Auriane took on a strained expression as he deflected the two bursts of energy.

"Better, but not good enough! _Faster! Stronger!"_

This time, the attacks broke past the bluish shield. Auriane immediately set up another; this one stayed strong, successfully blocking him from being hit.

"I think they should take a break," announced Kalazar from the other side of the room. The Alakazam had definitely relaxed since Kaizen had taken over his headmaster duties – the air of tension that had once surrounded him was long gone.

Relieved, Sterling sat down. His heart was beating at an impossibly fast rate, and his body felt weak and jellylike on the inside. It had been difficult to use Spark without attacking physically; once he had learned how, he had gotten a killer headache.

Blaize was in similar shape, sprawled out on the ground and panting heavily. His tail-flame had dimmed to a pale, flickering ember – it was clear that Sterling wasn't the only one with low stamina.

"You two have improved since last time," Auriane remarked, trotting over to them. "That is certainly good."

"I sense a lecture coming on," Sterling growled to his paws, slumping down. The ground felt wonderfully sturdy.

Kalazar chuckled from across the room.

Auriane sighed, looking down at the grumpy Shinx and the exhausted Charmander. "I was simply going to comment on your lack of stamina. However, that can only be fixed through more practice. You must push yourself beyond your limits."

"Mission accomplished," came the grunt.

With a sigh, Blaize shifted from his awkward position and turned to stare up at the Lucario. "Ignore him. He's tired. We all are, really – we've been pushed past our limits, you see. And we're going to fight an outlaw tomorrow, so we need rest. I mean that respectfully, of course – "

He was babbling again, though that only amused Auriane. "I understand perfectly. You can rest here. Kalazar, could you fetch them some Sitrus berries?"

Sterling's ears pricked. Though Orans tasted good enough, and did their job fairly well, it was Sitrus berries that were the best. Not only did they completely refresh a Pokémon's energy, but they had a marvelous mix of flavors as well!

The last (and first) time he had ever tasted one, though, was back with the tribe. A group of hunters had spotted a Sitrus tree while tracking down a Stantler, and _everybody _had gone to taste the fruit. Being at the bottom of the food chain, he and Flare were forced to wait until the others were done.

Even the few scraps of Sitrus that Sterling had tasted were wonderful. Flare had been unusually cheerful afterwards, and they engaged in a fun game of chase before –

"Here they are," Kalazar announced, breaking into his daydream.

Sterling shook his head, attempting to clear the old memories from his mind, and looked eagerly at the lumpy berries. Though it had a very awkward shape, the fruit was _good._

"I thought you were joking!" Blaize cried, leaping forward with a delighted laugh. All of the soreness seemed to have faded from _his _body.

"Well? Do you want yours?" Auriane asked with a hint of cheeriness in his voice. There was something serious about the old Lucario's expression, though; something… ominous.

"O-of course." Sterling stepped forward, grabbing his Sitrus by the stem, and happily began to devour it.

For those precious moments, all of his worries and problems meant nothing. All that mattered was the flavor of the berry on his tongue.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Sorry for another long wait! Quarter exams crept up on me again. They were easy, though – not worth the studying._

_So! There were plenty of important things in this chapter. Auriane's expression, for one – whatever could that mean…?_

_Let's hope that I update quickly enough so that you can find out. xD_


	17. The Past Never Fades

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

_**The Past Never Fades**_

* * *

><p>After the duo had finished their brief meal of Sitrus berries, they got right back to work. This time, though, Auriane made them practice the newest additions to their movesets – Bite and Dragon Rage. Both of them were struggling to master the attacks, frustrating the old Lucario and thoroughly amusing Kalazar.<p>

Sterling was battling Blaize now, who turned out to be quite a worthy match. The Charmander wasn't as nimble as he was, but had a lot of power. It took a lot of energy to dodge each stream of blue flames, and it was even harder to leap aside _and_ concentrate on Bite.

"Too slow!" Auriane barked, back into drill sergeant mode (whatever that was).

All too late, Sterling ducked away from a Dragon Rage. The long tongue of fire scorched his right side, sending a searing pain through his body and blackening the blue fur. Now there was the wound to cope with as well – this was not going to be pretty.

The Shinx snarled, landing unevenly on the ground. As Blaize prepared another wave of scorching flames, he carried out his own attack. Bite did nowhere near as much damage as Dragon Rage, but it took much less time to complete.

Blaize cried out as Sterling struck him in the side, clamping down hard with his teeth. The scarlet scales slid in his jaws, proving to be difficult to hold onto. As usual, the Charmander slipped away – and, as usual, Sterling had to avoid being scorched. (The fire grazed his fur this time; he cursed the burn for slowing his movements.)

"Work on your speed, Charmander!" came the angry shout.

"Shut _up!" _Sterling shrieked, fed up with the commentary. He flicked his ears forward, blocking out the sound of any reply, and ducked into a crouch. It only took a matter of seconds to build up the power in his muscles before he leaped again, teeth flashing black.

But Blaize had taken Auriane's words to heart. He sidestepped with difficulty, getting tackled rather than bitten, and whipped his tail around. Sterling received a burning-hot flame to the face.

Making a strangled sound, he fell backwards. The burning sensation only increased as he moved – opening his eyes would be pure agony, and attacking was now out of the question. In fact, if he wanted to continue the battle, he would have to do it blind.

He struggled to his paws, unaware that he was flexing his claws, and angled his ears toward the sound of a gasp. Blaize was evidently horrified at what he had done… but that would be his undoing. With a growl, Sterling raced forwards.

And he heard… whispering. Faint voices hissed in his ear, their words barely audible.

"_Let us. Let us…"_

"_No." _He pricked his ears, hearing a strange thumping sound. The Charmander was moving – but to where? This wasn't going to turn out well…

Auriane's shout sounded over the whispers. "Sterling, get back! We can heal the burns before they get any worse! Stop now!"

"_I have to finish this!" _he snapped back, his pricked ears detecting the change in his voice. Something strange had happened – his words had taken on a hissing undertone, as if he was speaking like the whispers. As if he _was _a whisperer.

"_Turn to the right," _said the voices.

Sterling obeyed, whirling to the right with his claws unsheathed. The Bite attack had already charged itself; he could feel the energy now. With a growl, he lunged towards the spot where Blaize was, and his teeth met flesh.

Suddenly, the whispers died in his ears. A strange sound seemed to come from nearby – like the wind rushing through the trees, almost. He sank his claws into the ground, feeling a wave of dizziness pass over him.

Someone was speaking from beside him, babbling frantically – probably Blaize, judging from both the voice and the lack of punctuation. It was getting to be a little much.

"_Please, _be quiet," Sterling snapped, suddenly aware of the pain in his face and side. He had always hated burns, and was just beginning to realize what it meant to have a fire-type partner.

Blaize silenced, making a weird little noise in his throat.

"Okay, Blaize, step back." Auriane strode forward, his pawsteps loud and rhythmic against the ground. The steady _thump-thump-thump _was strangely comforting. It was a constant sound, even if it was a bit too loud for Sterling's aching head.

There was a rustle. Sterling assumed that the Charmander had obeyed and turned around, swiveling his ears. If he wasn't mistaken, Auriane was a very short distance away from him.

"My face hurts," the Shinx snapped, feeling unusually grumpy. "Please heal it. You kept howling about how you could do it earlier."

"I know you're in pain, but _please _attempt to be respectful," Auriane replied, equally snappily. "Not many Pokémon would tolerate that, you know. I'm just nicer than them."

_Not _being a brat was, unfortunately, out of Sterling's range of abilities. For the moment, at least. Knowing fully well that he would regret it later, he said loudly, "You're _nice? _You act like a dictator, for Arceus's sake!"

He regretted it very shortly after. Auriane squeezed Rawst juice on his burns, being none too gentle – and the sting that resulted from it was, to say the least, _unpleasant. _

_Very _unpleasant.

* * *

><p>After that little episode, Auriane sent Sterling and Blaize back to the Academy. He had advised them to visit Vale, and Kalazar had chimed in with a recommendation of resting for the remainder of the day. Neither of the duo had been particularly pleased to hear that.<p>

"It's been so busy lately! I can hardly imagine being lazy for once," Blaize grumbled, swinging his fiery tail back and forth. (Sterling watched its movements with new respect.)

"I mean, seriously – since we joined the Academy, everything's been nonstop work!" the lizard continued, throwing out his paws for emphasis.

Sterling was still not in the mood for chatting, though it was preferable to ceaseless apologies. The Charmander had stubbornly refused to stop saying "sorry" until Sterling brought up the topic of lazing about.

"I wonder which outlaw Lyric picked," the Shinx muttered, flicking his tail back and forth. That subject wasn't worrying him too much anymore; the new awkwardness between him and Blaize _was. _Not to mention the return of the voices.

Blaize hit himself on the side of the head for no apparent reason. "I can't believe I forgot about that! Well, I guess there's been a lot going on. Lyric's trustworthy, anyways; she probably picked a decently weak one."

Sterling closed his eyes, tuning out the flow of chatter. After that long session of being "blind," the resulting blackness was a relief. He trotted after Blaize, more thankful than ever for his perceptive ears.

"Yeah, Lyric's great," he agreed absentmindedly.

His opinion was changed dramatically when they finally arrived at the Academy, ready to seek out Vale.

He opened his eyes to climb the steps and literally jumped, startled by what he saw.

Lyric was floating at the top of the small staircase, looking particularly ominous in the shadow of the building. Her expression was a blank mask, though there was something sinister about the way that she stared down at them. With the faintest of chimes, she floated down to confront them.

Blaize had long since shut up. He was staring up at the Chimecho with barely-disguised horror, paws clenched in fists. His tail-flame had dimmed again, its light pale and weak.

"Care to explain _this?" _Lyric said, her voice honey-sweet (never a good sign). She drifted forwards, remaining at a threatening height, and leered down at them.

Sterling only noticed what she was "carrying" when she levitated it forward. The Chimecho had been dragging a piece of paper alongside her. With a nasty smile, she shifted the paper so that both of Team Storm could see it.

A very accurate picture of Blaize was splashed across the front.

* * *

><p>The sun was beginning to sink, shifting from its position in the sky. Shadows lengthened and streets became busier – all signs that night was edging closer.<p>

The Dojo was still empty, but only for now. Soon, the afternoon crowd would come rushing through the doors, clamoring for training – but they hadn't come yet. That gave Auriane and Kalazar plenty of time to discuss what they had seen.

Auriane faced his partner with a grave expression, his blue eyes becoming worried. "We've been keeping an eye on him. Why does it keep coming back?" he asked, sounding half-annoyed.

"It doesn't obey us. It hardly listens to anyone," Kalazar replied, almost lightheartedly – but this was no time for humor. He looked serious as well, levitating his twin spoons. "And we aren't exactly experts on the matter."

"Candor would know," the Lucario muttered, striding over to a chair and sitting heavily in it. "It's a shame that she's halfway across the country."

"We could send her a psychic message, asking for information," Kalazar replied patiently, tossing the spoons into the air and catching them again.

Auriane looked pleased, but only for a moment. "Good thinking. I'll arrange for one to be sent shortly. But we do have something more to worry about – the Charmander."

"He'll be fine," Kalazar replied.

"How can you be so sure? It didn't turn out so nicely for him this time," the old Pokémon answered, his voice a growl. "Is it really a wise idea, keeping those two together? Both of them are extremely dangerous."

"No, they have dangerous _capabilities," _Kalazar corrected, pointing a spoon at his teammate. "That's what you say all the time. Since when did your policy become 'guilty until proven innocent?'"

The Lucario placed his head in his paws, heaving a great sigh. "I'm just tired and overworked, but that matters little. Do you remember the circumstances the last time _it _stirred?"

"All too well," the Alakazam admitted, his expression darkening.

Auriane made an odd growling sound in his throat. "The recent incidents are odd, but don't seem to be part of anything bigger. We can't rule that possibility out, though, even if it is the opposite of what we want."

"Everything was sorted out nicely last time, though," Kalazar pointed out. "All of the issues were fixed before anything got out of hand."

"The issues were _compromised, _you mean."

There was a long pause in which Kalazar looked at Auriane. The Lucario refused to meet his eyes, though, keeping his head firmly placed in his paws.

"The one who _really _needs a break is you, Auriane," Kalazar commented softly, his voice gentle.

Auriane laughed without emotion, looking up with a fake smile plastered on his face. "Take a break? Kalazar, I could need a vacation more than anyone else in the world, but I won't _ever_ get one."

And with that, he rose to his feet and strode from the room, leaving a sighing Alakazam behind.

* * *

><p>Underneath a blood-red sky, a demon slumbered.<p>

Nightmares filled its sleep, dark and disturbing. There were whispers and screams and flashes of green eyes, blurring together in one great mix of horror. Though it slept on, the creature thrashed, unleashing a haunted roar.

Finally, it awoke, staring about with disbelieving eyes. A horrible sound slipped from the panting mouth, echoing ominously before fading away.

But the nightmare hadn't ended.

Sleep and consciousness were all the same. The demon dreamed of one thing: the prison in which it was trapped, and the creature that sent it there. Both of its horrors blended together, becoming a reality in which it lived.

In fact, it was like the tortured beast had never awoken at all.

When the nightmares ended, an identical one began.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Evil chapter is evil. I know you guys loved those cliffhangers! _

_The chapter title's very important. It also fits in well with our multiple narrators, and what is happening to them at the moment~ _


	18. Unhappy Encounters

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

_**Unhappy Encounters**_

* * *

><p>Sterling gaped at the picture, unable to understand what it meant. Blaize's immobile face smiled back at him as his mind whirled, struggling to find a reason for this. How in the world had his partner ended up on a job request form?<p>

A sudden chill washed through him. Lyric had been looking for an outlaw when they left. If she had found this paper during her searching… that meant…

_That meant…_

Fear rose within him. He hurriedly read the caption beneath the picture, his eyes roaming over the words. They were hard to read, seeing as they had been hastily scrawled by a clumsy hand, but he could just barely make it out…

"_Our son went missing several days ago. We fear the worst, and have reason to believe that he went to the Hill of Sorrow. If anyone can find him, we would offer a full explanation and a large reward._

_Thank you,_

_Claret the Charizard and Rauth the Nidoking."_

Sterling breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment, he had doubted Blaize… he had actually believed that, all along, his partner was an outlaw.

Almost with pleasure, he remembered that Blaize had forgotten to tell his parents about joining the Academy. That was certainly the reason behind all of the alarm – there was definitely nothing to worry about, no need for more doubt…

Yet something stood out to him. "We have reason to believe that he went to the Hill of Sorrow…"

And what was that part about a "full explanation…?"

"What does this mean?" Lyric asked, her voice still poisonously sweet. "Would you like to explain why I found this on the mission board?"

Sterling glanced sideways at Blaize. The Charmander was staring at his feet, not saying a word.

"_Blaize," _Lyric said icily. "If you don't explain this, then I will personally report this mission to Kalazar, and have you kicked out of the Academy."

"What?" Sterling cried, his fur bristling. "That's unfair!"

"Fine!" Blaize shouted, almost at the same time. His tail-flame flickered and greatly increased in side. "I joined the Academy against my parents' wishes! And you can't kick me out because of that, because you'll be affecting Sterling – and _he_ did nothing wrong!"

"I wouldn't stay if you couldn't be my partner," Sterling told him, a hint of pride in his voice.

Lyric suddenly hovered a little lower, her luminous eyes narrowing. A bit of psychic energy flared around her, barely kept in check by any last remnants of self-control. And suddenly, she was truly scary – Sterling actually found himself cowering.

"Are you telling me that you joined the Newleaf Academy _WITHOUT PERMISSION?" _ the Chimecho snarled. "Did you think that _that_ would be a _good idea?"_

Blaize straightened up, his tail-flame flickering and increasing greatly in size. He let out a very audible growl, staring Lyric right in the eyes.

Then he spoke.

"Who are _you _to tell me what to do?"

Sterling immediately sank his teeth into Blaize's paw. When the Charmander whirled to look at him, he began dragging his partner away, trying to get as far away from Lyric as he could.

The progress was slow for a moment until Blaize figured out what Sterling was doing. He yanked his paw away and they both_ bolted._

Oddly enough, though, Lyric did not pursue. She simply hovered in the distance, watching them through narrowed eyes.

* * *

><p>As soon as they had ventured quite a ways into the town, Sterling whirled on his partner. "Blaize! Why did you <em>say <em>that?" Every hair on his body was bristling.

The Charmander looked troubled. "I – I don't know! I just felt really bold there…" he mumbled, not looking Sterling in the eyes. He stared instead at his feet, examining each clawed toe as if they were interesting.

"We won't be able to go back for a while, you know! Lyric will be _so _angry at us." Sterling walked in a frantic circle, his tail lashing back in forth. "We have to – I don't even know!"

"I can't tell my parents," Blaize said quietly, his voice sounding weak. "They'd – forbid me from going. I'd get in trouble…" He placed his head in his paws, making a whimpering sound.

It was then that Sterling understood. Blaize hadn't told him the full story on that night in the inn. In fact, he seemed to have left out a very important part.

The Shinx said nothing for a short while, only leading his partner farther on into the town. Without even meaning to, he entered the town square. It was already filled with eager shoppers and traders; the noise gave him a headache.

"Let's sit on the benches," Blaize said tiredly, pointing a claw at a group of the wooden chairs.

Sterling followed the Charmander over to the bench, looping his tail underneath his paws. He hopped up onto it, sitting awkwardly on all four legs. Beside him, Blaize held his tail-flame away from the wood, staring gloomily into the distance.

A group of chattering grass-types strode right past. Sterling recognized Kotto among them, leading a Vileplume, a Nuzleaf, and a Cherrim. Behind the group of four trotted a little Seedot with a scarf, who was presumably the Nuzleaf's brother.

"Team Grassthorn," Blaize said absently, pointing a claw at them. "One of the older teams in the Academy… Kotto and Viridia, the Vileplume, are the leaders. They have lots of fans."

"One day, we'll have admirers," Sterling said confidently, trying to lift his partner's spirits.

"If we aren't disbanded," Blaize replied bitterly. "We can operate independently, of course, but it would be hard. The Academy provides a ton of support to rescuers and explorers."

"Blaize, cheer up! Lyric will eventually see that she's being far too serious about this," Sterling announced.

The Charmander just shook his head.

Sterling looked seriously at his partner, unsure of how to reply. He was unused to seeing the fire-type look so… _hopeless. _

"Let's get some food," he said suddenly, hopping off of the bench. "I'm sure that the traders will be selling _something _vaguely edible."

"I don't have any money," Blaize said flatly.

That little problem had not occurred to Sterling. "…oh?" he muttered. "Where is your money, then?"

"Lyric has it."

_Well, karp. _

"The inn has free food, though," Blaize pointed out. "It's around lunchtime… I think we'll be able to sneak in and get something to eat."

With that goal in mind, they set off to find the inn. On the way, though, Sterling remained quite disturbed by Blaize's lack of speaking. He was so ridiculously gloomy that it even made the day feel a little worse.

* * *

><p>After taking a few Pecha muffins from the inn's buffet, both of the duo were feeling significantly less grumpy. There was just something about having a full stomach that reduced the severity of bad moods.<p>

Sterling was sitting, licking his paw and drawing it over his face. Like any respectable feline, he was inclined to give himself a good grooming after eating anything particularly messy. Blaize, however, did not share those instincts.

"That's nasty," Blaize complained, watching Sterling wash himself. "You're pretty much cleaning your fur with your own saliva. How is that sanitary?"

"It's better than rolling around in the dirt, like Pidgey do," the Shinx replied calmly, closing his eyes so that he could clean the entirety of his face. "Anyways, you fire-types probably don't get clean at all. At least _I _have a valid reason – I end up electrifying water after a while."

"I'll die if my tail-flame goes out," Blaize protested.

Sterling looked at the Charmander through one half-closed eye. "Please! The flame goes out every night. You're perfectly capable of surviving that."

Defeated, Blaize just slouched down and said nothing more.

"Okay. What do we do now?" Sterling asked chirpily upon finishing his grooming. He smirked at his partner, who had been looking away with a disgusted expression.

"Well, we can't exactly go back to the Academy." Blaize shrugged. "I think I'll talk to my parents and tell them."

It took a moment before Sterling comprehended what the Charmander had said. He gaped at Blaize, his mouth hanging open like a Magikarp's.

"What?" Blaize asked in confusion.

Sterling snapped his mouth shut, shaking his head. "Y-you were freaking out about that earlier! I mean, you seemed so s_cared _about that!"

"I think I'll survive," Blaize replied confidently. "At this time of day, my mother will be the only one home. You can take her out with a couple of Spark attacks if I keep her distracted. A Dragon Rage or two would do some damage as well."

_What?_

Sterling was completely unable to believe this. After a scary showdown with Lyric, Blaize had been terrified at the prospect of facing his parents. But now, once he had eaten a bit of food, he was perfectly ready to do so.

And, what was more, Blaize didn't seem ready to talk with his parents. In fact, he had already prepared a _battle plan, _for Arceus's sake! Did he really expect the two of them to take down a full-grown _Charizard?_

Besides, if his father was there, then they would be utterly screwed. With an immunity to electric attacks _and _a fire-type resistance, as well as his mate being there, they would be done for. Absolutely dead.

He processed this in his mind, struggling to understand. What in Arceus's name had made Blaize so brave all of a sudden? Not to mention overconfident – two young, unevolved, and unexperienced _children _couldn't hope to overpower an adult Charizard. That was downright idiotic.

"Blaize, you're a fool," Sterling said flatly, deciding that it was the best response.

"I love you too, Ster," Blaize replied happily. "Let's do it." His expression turned serious then, and his tail-flame flared up a little more. "If we don't, then we might get kicked out of the Academy, or worse. And besides, doing this on our own terms would be preferable to getting dragged in by someone else."

Sterling wanted to protest, but the battle had already been won. He would go with Blaize, even if it ended up with the two of them getting seriously hurt.

But there was no reason to end this so quickly.

"Fine," he growled. But, hastily, he added, "I'm only doing this on one condition, though."

"…what is it?" Blaize asked warily.

"You have to tell me what you left out on that one night." Sterling fixed him with a stern stare. "How is this… Hill of Sorrow relevant? And why are you so scared of my parents?"

Blaize regarded the Shinx with a blank expression, something strange in his eyes. His tail-flame flickered uncertainly, and he clenched his claws before finally speaking. "…fine. I trust you. I'll tell you, but only when we're not surrounded by other Pokémon."

Sterling agreed to that, and then they set off.

All the while, a distinct feeling of nervousness gnawed at the pit of his stomach.

* * *

><p>Blaize's house – <em>former <em>house – was medium-sized and fairly modern. It was built from stones and had a garden of Rawst berries growing out front. The bushes gave the area a pleasant aroma, but Sterling was definitely not focused on that. His eyes were glued to the front door, which loomed closer with each step.

Next to him, Blaize appeared to shrink in size as they grew closer. His tail-flame was massive, either displaying extreme anger or immense fear. Sterling found his fur crackling with static energy, just as battle-ready as Blaize's flame.

Inevitably, they reached the doorstep. The duo exchanged anxious glances before Blaize raised a paw and knocked on the door, his tail sweeping back and forth.

A feminine voice called out from inside. "Coming!"

That sounded harmless, but Sterling had learned that females were not to be underestimated. Lyric was an example, and so was Rain from the tribe – her nasty temper had been _notorious –_

The door opened.

A slim, smiling Charizard was standing at the door. She wore a red scarf around her neck and smelled vaguely like flowers, and her tail-flame was a light shade of pink. In fact, she appeared to be very friendly – nothing like Sterling had imagined.

Next to him, Blaize quivered even more violently, his tail-flame growing even larger.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. "What are you two doing here today?"

Then her scarlet eyes turned to Blaize.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Eek! Such a long wait! I'm so sorry, guys! D:_

_Seeing as the school year is drawing to a close, I have been swamped with tests and homework lately. I promise the update speed will pick up in June, and I'll try to write new chapters as regularly as possible until then._

_Lyric is not here to look pretty. Despite being a glorified bell, she is going to be a good fighter and very dangerous. Claret the Charizard is similar, as well as a new character that we will be meeting shortly~_

_By the way, "Oh, karp" is the Pokémon equivalent of "Oh, crap." I'd like to refrain from having much cursing in the story, and Pokémon curse words will most likely be slightly different from our human words._


	19. Wrath of the Dragoness

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

_**Wrath of the Dragoness**_

* * *

><p>"…Blaize."<p>

Claret could not say a word. In fact, the only sound that slipped past her lips was her son's name. And it left a foul taste in her mouth as she uttered it, one that refused to fade.

Her scarlet eyes stayed focused on her child's face, examining every detail. There was the scar that she had inflicted with her very own claws… the ever-familiar fear in his pale blue eyes… and his oddly muscular build, a genetic gift from his father.

Yet something had changed. His tail-flame was larger, a darker shade of red; it was burning stronger than ever before. His claws were curled in preparation to fight, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he was positioned as if to provide protection for a friend.

…the Shinx.

Claret studied the feline, her eyes darkening. Now this was a born fighter. Scars covered the blue coat, parts of his fur torn away. A sort of fierce aura surrounded the child, and there was the light of battle already in those eyes.

Silver eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It had been years since she had last seen those silver eyes. They had not belonged to a small, fierce Shinx, though – but they were the eyes of a similar warrior. An older Pokémon, but with as many scars.

And one that she had trusted – trusted like no other.

_Who are you? _she wanted to ask, suddenly filled with regret. _Why are you with my son? Is this yet another form of punishment…?_

_...why?_

* * *

><p>The female Charizard appeared to be lost in thought, her scarlet eyes fixed upon Sterling. There was something in her gaze… something remorseful. It made him uneasy to look at her, but something glued him to his spot. He simply could not tear his eyes away from the dragoness, and he just could not run away.<p>

"Mother," Blaize whispered suddenly, his hushed voice effectively breaking the silence.

Sterling immediately shifted into a battle stance, looping his tail above his back. He sank his claws into the ground, leaving deep indents in the earth, and growled warningly.

Claret's eyes hardened, and she took a step back. Sterling caught sight of her tail-flame as she moved away; it was frighteningly large.

"Thank you for reuniting me with my son, St- Shinx," she said crisply, pronouncing each word clearly. "If I may ask, I will request that you leave so that I can speak with my child. I will award you as soon as I am finished."

"Make me!" Sterling snarled, arching his back and fluffing out his tail. He was still practically minuscule compared to the Charizardress, but there was no way that he was backing down.

"I'm staying with him, _Claret," _Blaize hissed, suddenly sounding much fiercer. He dropped lower, almost to the point where he was standing on all fours, and swished his tail back and forth.

The Charizard smiled thinly. "It's good to see that you have developed independence, my son." Her eyes strayed to Sterling again, that odd emotion flickering in their ruby depths once again. "And who's this that you've picked up…?"

"Don't talk about me like I'm an _item!" _Sterling snapped.

Again, he was surprised by that show of courage. Something about being in the presence of this stranger was making him _angry. _And when he was angry, he often said things that he regretted.

"I believe that I was talking to my son," Claret said coldly, breathing out a small shower of sparks. The embers weren't mean to harm, though, just to intimidate.

They did absolutely nothing but look pretty, to be honest.

"Sterling is my friend! In fact, he's my – partner!" Blaize paused for a fraction of a second before blurting out the rest of the sentence. "We're in a rescue team together at the Academy!"

Immediately, the air of barely restrained fury around Claret snapped. She lunged, moving at a shockingly swift speed, and knocked Blaize to the ground with a simple blow. Without even turning, she threw her tail into Sterling's face as he lunged.

With his fur badly singed – _again – _and his body aching, Sterling tumbled back. For a moment, he just lay on the ground, staring emptily up at the sky.

Then he rolled back onto his paws, moving much more slowly then before. Trying to shake off the pain, he charged up another Spark attack and aimed for Claret's wings.

The Charizardress was surprised by the surge of electricity that coursed through her body – but it didn't hurt her much. She whirled, smashing Sterling to the ground with a single outstretched paw. And that was the end of it.

Sterling coughed thickly, trying to get air into his lungs. When those efforts succeeded, he closed his eyes and simply let his electricity go haywire. However, the sparks of energy did nothing but flare around him, not even reaching Claret.

"Pathetic," came her voice, cold and barren of any triumph. "You have no idea what I have gone through to achieve this level of strength. Two – _weaklings – _cannot just come along and expect to defeat me."

Then, for the second time that day, Sterling heard a hissing in his ears.

"_You are too weak… too weak… let us… let us…"_

_No… I can't trust you… I don't even know you…_

He breathed slowly. _Blaize… where is Blaize…?_

"_Let us… for Blaize."_

Another breath. Another… breath.

"As for you, Blaize… I thought you knew my views on the matter of mystery dungeons. You are not allowed to go into them. You are not allowed to go near them. You know _exactly _why… yet you disobeyed me." Claret was speaking again. "Are you just too intelligent for your dear mother?"

"…nothing…" came Blaize's weak voice. "…but… nothing happened…"

"_Listen to her! Taunting him! Mocking him! Don't you want to stand up for your partner?"_

He listened harder, hearing a faint whimper and more reproachful words. _Yes. I do…_

He opened his eyes, looking at the cloudy sky. Everything about his vision had suddenly sharpened; he could see with startling clarity now.

"_Let us. We won't even take you… we'll do it ourselves."_

_Take me…?_

"_Let us," _the voices insisted.

He nodded, an affirmative that he also spoke aloud. Yet his voice had changed again, becoming that oddly raspy hiss…

"_Go, then."_

* * *

><p>That was when Claret heard it.<p>

That hissing, rushing, whispering sound – a noise she had become familiar with over the years. Each time she had heard it, disaster had followed – _every single time. _

Yet she alone knew how to counter it.

With a snarl, she turned on the Shinx – and he was looking at her with blank eyes. The silver color had faded, replaced by an ominous shade of red. In fact, a _familiar _shade of red.

Then the shadows rushed at her, and she breathed fire.

* * *

><p>Sterling awoke an indefinite amount of time later. He was lying in a nest of something soft and fluffy, which cushioned his body comfortably. In fact, it felt like he would imagine sleeping on a cloud to be like – soft and pleasant, though it was a touch too warm.<p>

He heard voices speaking in the background. One was a deep male voice, gruff and strong. It was vaguely familiar, and seemed to hold a lot of authority. The other was feminine, yet sounded angry and powerful.

"Are you sure that this occurred?" the male said, his voice betraying a hint of uncertainty. Light footsteps sounded nearby, as if the male was pacing.

"Absolutely," snapped the female. "Now, please explain why my son is in the Academy. You and your team know perfectly well why he is not allowed to be in mystery dungeons."

"Claret, please calm down. I beg you." Now the male sounded tired and drained. "Your son's acceptance into our school is the very least of our troubles. Nothing bad has happened. We are concentrating on more important things."

Then there was a muffled yelp and a snarl of anger.

Sterling's ears angled towards the source of the commotion, and he opened his eyes to see what was going on.

A female Charizard was pinning a Lucario to the wall, holding him by the neck. Her claws were splayed to avoid puncturing anything vital, though she looked fully prepared to blast him with a Flamethrower.

Suddenly, all memory returned.

Sterling heaved himself of out of the fluffy nest, his fur already beginning to bristle. He had been aiming to make it over to Blaize without being heard, but both of the Pokémon heard him.

Auriane's blue eyes narrowed, his right paw shimmering faintly. A few moments later, a blue fire sprang to life, flickering gently as it encased his limb. And, as Claret was distracted, he hit her in the chest with the flaming paw.

Claret whipped her tail around, easily knocking the bipedal canine aside. Auriane huffed, rising to his paws and looking coolly from the Charizardress to Sterling.

"You're up early, little cat," Claret observed, her tone mocking.

"Please do not antagonize him, Claret. I would rather keep the rest of the day as stress-free as possible," Auriane sighed. "Lyric has already beaten me to the ground with anger."

Sterling pricked his ears with interest.

"Fine, then." Claret swished her tail in a manner similar to Blaize's. "Sil- Sterling, since you're up so early, I would like to ask some questions." She composed her face into a calm and collected mask. "Let's begin with… how did you acquire the Darkwrath?"

"The – what?" Sterling trembled a little underneath her cold scarlet gaze. If anything, she was more terrifying when she _wasn't _angry.

"He does not know what the Darkwrath is. I have no doubt that his parents kept it a secret, and so have we," Auriane said calmly.

Sterling's temper flared again. "It would be nice if you told me – and stopped talking like I'm not here, Auriane," he snapped, sitting and looping his tail around his paws.

Claret exhaled, breathing a small tongue of flame. It was undoubtedly meant to intimidate, and this time it did its job. Sterling felt a violent shudder run through his body as he looked at it.

_Flare, _he thought, cowering a bit. _Flare..._

"The Darkwrath is a rare ability that occurs in dark and ghost-types, and even more rarely in others," Auriane explained, shooting Claret a frosty glare. "Those who have it are described as… acting erratically. Their aura changes dramatically."

"They hear voices in their ears and rampage with shadows around them," the Charizardress said flatly, interrupting with a low growl rumbling in the back of her throat.

Sterling's gaze snapped to hers. Her scarlet eyes were shadowed with a strange emotion – not regret, or even anger.

"Your case is slightly different, Shinx," Auriane said in a voice of forced calm. "You seem to exhibit a… certain amount of control over the state. Normally, the Pokémon will completely lose any element of sanity. You, however, do not."

A cold chill ran up and down Sterling's spine.

"It typically occurs when the Pokémon feels extreme emotions. The consequences are often very severe," Auriane continued. "Many of those who are afflicted with the Darkwrath end up accidentally killing loved ones – "

"Shut up!" Sterling shouted. "I get it, okay! Just shut up!"

Claret shook her head slowly. "He's too weak," she said in a voice of icy scorn. "I don't believe it… I expected much more."

"That was a better reaction than any most," Auriane pointed out. "I know who you're comparing him to, and that comparison is simply not fair – "

"_**SHUT UP!" **_

Sterling was suddenly so _sick _of them talking right in front of his nose, acting like he wasn't there, discussing his flaws, conspiring – _comparing him _to some random Pokémon that he'd never met.

"Very well," Auriane muttered.

And that outburst awoke Blaize.

There was a loud yawn from across the room, followed by some sleepy muttering. Sterling glanced sideways and found his gaze drawn to a Charmander curled up tightly within a nest, his tail-flame igniting once more.

"Oh… Sterling? Mother?" Blaize murmured, uncurling a little. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," Claret said swiftly.

Sterling didn't speak, just sat and flipped his tail back and forth. Anger still smoldered deep within him, like a spark just waiting to be released.

_I'll tell you later._

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Claret is a badass._

'_Nuff said. ;D_


	20. And It Begins

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

_**And It Begins**_

* * *

><p>A small green Pokémon dashed through the halls of the Academy. She was running so fast that she became hardly more than a blur – a pale streak, racing through the corridors.<p>

Panting heavily, the Pokémon came to a halt. She wobbled back, lifting up a foot to rap on a wooden door… and then she lost her balance. With a loud gasp, she began the process of forcing oxygen back into her lungs.

The door swung open, and the head of a Leafeon poked through. Vale scanned the hallways with narrowed amber eyes, not noticing her visitor until she heard another loud gasp.

"Aloe?" Vale asked, sounding confused. She scanned the Chikorita's body for any sign of injuries, but found nothing – only a faint scar on one side, which had probably come from those accursed ferals.

"Vale…" Aloe gasped, searching for breath. For a moment, all she could do was breathe in lungfuls of the sweet oxygen. "Vale… Team Peril's back… and they… need you." She inhaled deeply, drawing in as much air as possible.

"Team Peril's back _already?" _Vale exclaimed. "It's barely sunset! It takes much longer than that to travel to Turquoise Oasis!"

"They're… _back…" _Aloe hissed out insistently.

Vale shook her head, a shocked expression flitting across her face. "Well… run back and tell them that I'm preparing my supplies! They'd better get here _fast, _and explain even faster!"

And with that, she whipped around and charged into the infirmary, leaving a very unhappy Aloe behind.

Grumbling at the prospect of running that quickly and that far again, the Chikorita stumbled to her feet and began the process all over again.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>WHAT?"<strong>_

Auriane winced at the sound of Team Storm's outraged cries. He quickly clapped his paws to his ears, blocking out the majority of the shouted responses that quickly followed.

When the torrent of protests had ebbed, he removed his paws again. "You heard me. Claret is letting you two go, but she did not give me an easy time. For helping the two of you, it's only fair that you repay me with an equally difficult favor."

"Talking to a _demon _isn't even relevant to that!" Sterling shouted, making sure to holler at the top of his lungs. "We'll get killed! Are you kidding?"

"You _must _be insane! And to think I actually thought that you're – _smart!_" Blaize howled at the same volume. He threw his scaly paws up in distress, his tail-flame flickering and increasing in size.

Auriane glared at the duo. Though his stare wasn't quite as intimidating as, say, _Claret's, _it was more than sufficient to shut them up.

"Thank you," he said in a strained voice. "And you will talk to Lyric, or else I will personally have you removed from the Academy. And from then on, the two of you will be Claret's business." He crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing.

"That's unfair," Sterling protested, lashing his tail.

Blaize made a whining noise. "Why do we even have to do this?"

"First of all, Lyric is your mentor. Apologizing to her would make life significantly easier," Auriane replied, calm once more. "Secondly, you'll do it because I said so. For once, I would like for someone to respect my authority."

The Lucario ignored the rush of protesting that followed, and gradually he wore the duo down. As they left Claret's house and headed back towards the Academy, he won them over with the promise of a few treats.

"If you talk to her, each of you will get Vanillite cones," he announced.

Spotting Sterling's expression of confusion, Blaize immediately rushed to explain. "Vanillite cones are amazing! They're made with fruit and cream and milk, and then they're frozen. They're put in these little cone-things, which are crunchy, and they taste great!"

"So they look like Vanillite, and taste like them too?" Sterling clarified.

Both Blaize and Auriane gave him odd looks. "…you've tasted a Vanillite?" the Charmander asked warily, while Auriane heaved a sigh.

"No, but I'd imagine that they would taste good."

"…you _are _weird," Blaize observed, cocking his head to the side. "But, yes, we'll do it. But only if you give us some Vanillite cones now."

Auriane smiled faintly at that. "That won't be a problem."

* * *

><p>With the taste of the frozen treat still on their tongues, the duo warily approached the Academy. Luckily, Lyric wasn't hovering at the front steps, waiting for them like some demonic ghost. The problem about <em>that, <em>though, was that neither of them had any clue where she was.

Fortunately, Destis the Xatu chose that moment to trot down the front stairs. At his side was Aloe, looking exhausted with her head-leaf drooping limply over one side of her face.

"Hey, Destis, do you know where Lyric is?" Blaize asked, flexing his claws.

The psychic bird shifted his gaze to the Charmander, studying the reptile with an expression of keen interest. Then he nodded for some reason, spreading his wings.

"Well?" Sterling prodded.

"I asked her through telepathy, and she claims that she is in the infirmary," Destis replied. "She is eager to see you. I did not pry, but I expect that you two are in for some trouble."

…_telepathy is creepy, but it has its uses…_

Sterling's glance shifted to Aloe. He was used to her being a rival by now, and expected some sneering remark. What he got instead, though, was a slightly blank stare.

Blaize didn't look at the Chikorita – perhaps on purpose? Instead, he remained focused on Destis. "Why is Lyric in the infirmary?" he asked curiously.

"She is checking on a new patient," the Xatu replied. Then his voice took a more serious tone. "She is also making sure that she is by Raonix's side. I worry for her sometimes; this infatuation can lead to nothing but sorrow."

…_infatuation?_

Blaize paid no attention to any of that. "Okay. Thanks a lot, Destis. Have a nice day." He rushed off, completely ignoring Aloe.

Sterling charged after him, waving his tail as he ran. "Wait up! There's no hurry!" he called, not exactly eager to bolt all of the way to the infirmary.

"Yes, you're right!" Blaize slowed down. "No, wait, you're _wrong! _We do need to hurry! But we shouldn't run that fast, or else we'll lose our breath. And that'll be bad – I mean, we'll barely be able to say anything to Lyric – "

"You're babbling," Sterling observed, increasing his pace to keep up with the Charmander. But it was understandable that Blaize was nervous; after all, they were going to confront a very angry psychic. And psychics had lots of terrifying abilities.

Blaize broke into a run, his tail wagging awkwardly as he charged along. "Sorry! Now let's hurry!" he called back.

* * *

><p>The infirmary seemed quite full when they entered. Not only was Raonix sitting awkwardly in a cot, a half-healed gash extending down his arm, but there was a very familiar Gible lying on his own bed – and <em>Nettle <em>was in there as well.

Skaris was sitting by Raze's bed. When the duo entered, he gave them a small nod, his sharp yellow eyes narrowed. Lyric, hovering by her Cacturne partner, ignored them altogether. She appeared to be talking quietly with Nettle.

Then Sterling's gaze was drawn to a commotion in one corner. Flis, Blossom, Blurres, and Taint were gathered around a much smaller cot. When he pricked his ears, he could faintly hear their hushed whispers.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she seems all right…"

"Wow, that outlaw was ruthless!"

"I know…"

The Shinx glanced sideways at Blaize, who seemed as equally baffled as he was. They exchanged confused looks before trotting onwards, stopping uneasily by Lyric.

"Yes?" she asked coldly, not even looking away from Nettle.

Blaize flinched back visibly, cowed both by the presence of the Nidoqueen and by Lyric's iciness. His tail-flame dimmed noticeably, clearly displaying his anxiety. Instead of looking directly at her face, he stared instead at the bag that she carried on her back.

"Auriane wanted us to apologize," Sterling said bluntly.

Lyric whipped around, her body glowing with an odd pinkish light. "And that's the _only _reason you came back to me?" she snarled, eyes narrowing.

Sterling took a step back, his ears flattening against his head.

"N-no," Blaize blurted. "We fixed the problem and talked to Cl- my mother. It's all g-good." He wrung his claws, looking terrified. "And you're a good mentor, s-so… we had to apologize, didn't we? Auriane just encouraged us."

"Did he?" Lyric looked unimpressed.

Beside her, Nettle spoke up in a warm, maternal-sounding tone. "Just forgive the kids, Lyric. They seem sincere. Why don't you introduce them to Rao, and to our newest visitor?"

_Raonix? I'd like to meet him. _Sterling sat down, his tail flicking back and forth. _And what did Destis say? Something about an… infatuation? _

The psychic bell made no response, just floating backwards a bit. Her gaze drifted to the Cacturne, who was watching the duo without saying anything. There was something distinctly unnerving about his expression: it was perfectly composed, bordering on blank.

The dark-type's gaze suddenly shifted to the Shinx. Sterling quivered a bit under his measuring stare, unsure of why Raonix was showing so much interest in him. He hadn't reacted _that_ much when they had first met… but then, he _had_ been half-asleep…

"This is my partner, Raonix. He is the leader of Team Desert, as you probably know, and is a very bold fighter. He'll be off of standby and back to leading missions when his arm heals," Lyric announced stiffly. Her voice softened somewhat when she turned to the Cacturne, something odd in her expression. "Say hi, Rao."

"We've met before. There's no need," was his calm response.

"_Rao!"_ Lyric gave him a threatening look, psychically lifting her bag in a threatening manner.

"…hi."

It appeared that even Lyric's partner was a bit scared of her. Sterling had to fight a nervous smile at that.

"You should meet our newest visitor," Nettle piped up, looking faintly amused. "She's awake right now, isn't she, Vale?"

As if on cue, the Leafeon healer suddenly appeared at her bedside. She looked strained, with her leafy ears drooping. In fact, she had a… _wilted _appearance to her.

"Yes, she is," Vale replied curtly, "but I don't want them disturbing her. If they can stay quiet, then they can feel free to introduce themselves."

She trotted away, raising her brown-tinted tail to beckon them.

Blaize hurried after her, his tail wagging from side to side as he ran – an oddly amusing motion. Sterling's eyes followed the movements for a moment, giving him a powerful urge to attack it – then he realized that he was being left behind.

As he caught up to the Charmander, Blossom shifted aside to let them see. Sterling's breath caught in his throat when he noticed the small creature lying feebly in her cot.

There was the Treecko from the mission that Team Peril had chosen. There was that pink flower, perched on the right side of her face. And her expression, twisted with pain as it was, seemed to be one and the same…

But her scaly green skin was covered with burns, and the untouched parts looked too shiny to be natural. Her tail, which should have been a rich shade of dark green, seemed even more wilted than Vale's leafy limbs. And she was looking at them with half-closed yellow eyes, paws clasped together.

"This is Flora, the Treecko we rescued from the Boiling Pit," Blossom announced.

Flis turned to face the duo with a grave expression. "Raze was called along to help guide them, since he's from that desert area. He got some serious burns too, but he recovered pretty quickly."

There was an answering grunt from across the room.

Flora made an odd noise in her throat. "I just… need a Rawst…"

_Oh, yeah… Auriane wanted me to ask for one… _Sterling sat down on his haunches, shuffling his paws. _But… I think that this Treecko needs them more…_

"You need a Lum, that's what! But I used up my stores already… I'll have to ask Chamomile…" Vale was pacing around the center of the room, her tail whipping back and forth. "Hey! Blossom! You should go ask her!"

The Roselia twisted, looking surprised. Then she saluted hastily. "O-oh, yes. No problem!"

She rushed off, stopped once, and then charged onwards again. Her roses swung at her sides as she dashed away.

"Team Peril! Out!" Vale took another step forward, giving the remaining two Pokémon harsh glares. "The infirmary is too crowded! Team Storm may stay, but only for a short while. I know that Ardon and Ivy promised to come in later, and we need more space for them."

The Drifloon and the Golbat grumbled, but floated out of the room anyways.

Nettle laughed in her deep, comforting voice. "Clearing out the infirmary to make room? Arceus, those fat buffoons need to lighten up on their meals…"

But Sterling didn't find any humor in her words. His gaze was, once again, glued to the Treecko's face. She just looked so… _hurt._ And not in the physical way. There was betrayal and sorrow in her expression, and she clearly didn't have the energy to heal it.

He tore his eyes away and glanced sideways at Blaize. There was nothing but horror in his partner's eyes – pure, unconcealed shock that sent a chill down his spine.

"I… can't believe…" the Charmander murmured. "F-fire… fire could do this to someone…"

Sterling's heart lurched, almost in sympathy. How would he feel if he came across someone who had been severely injured by electricity? Would he be ashamed by the element that he had control over? It, too, had such destructive power…

"It's not… that bad." Flora was speaking, making a clear effort to look fierce and independent. "There's no need to… freak out." She breathed a little heavily, closing her eyes.

"The kid has spirit," Lyric called over. "Don't pity her; she'll make it out of this with ease."

"With the intent… to murder the… Scyther," came Flora's weak voice, still sounding a bit fiery.

Now Sterling was impressed with her attitude.

Vale trotted over at that moment, still looking very stressed out. She stared at Team Storm in turn, twitching her leafy ears. "It's time to leave. I'm sure Lyric can come up with something for you to do." When the trio hesitated (the Chimecho didn't even move), she growled at them. "Now! Hurry up! I need empty space! Only teammates can stay, and – _no, _Lyric! Raonix is in a perfectly stable condition!"

* * *

><p>After that less-than-dignified exit, Lyric led the disgruntled duo back into the mission room. Seeing as it was a while after lunchtime, there were a few teams that were gathered inside. They merely shifted aside to make room for the three.<p>

"Before that… fiasco…" Lyric shot Blaize a significant look. "Well, before all of_ that_ – which I trust that you fixed – I had the foresight to pick out a good mission. It is a rather difficult one, but Auriane should have given you enough training."

"Why are we in here, then?" Sterling asked, sitting and looking oddly at her.

"What mission?" Blaize elbowed the Shinx in the ribs, making him hiss.

"We're in here because it won't be quite as noisy as, say, the cafeteria," Lyric replied, giving Sterling a glare. "And here is the mission."

Her body took on a pinkish glow. Then, in a matter of seconds, she psychically opened her bag and pulled out a new-looking paper.

The mission read:

_This Pokémon has been causing a lot of trouble for our shopkeepers. When their backs are turned, she makes away with their items! Don't be fooled by her innocent charm when you get close!_

_Sincerely, the Chief of Police_

_Client: Chief Phantom the Gengar_

_Objective: Apprehend the criminal, Auburn Buneary_

_Place: Pecha Grove_

_Floor: Thought to be 8f_

_Difficulty: D_

_Reward: 1000 Poké, one Sitrus Berry_

"That's obviously a hefty reward," Lyric commented, folding the paper and placing it back in her bag. "It should encourage you guys to do better, hm?"

But neither of the two were thinking about the reward.

"An… outlaw?" Sterling gaped openly at his mentor, unable to believe it. They had gone on exactly _three missions _and were already expected to apprehend a criminal!

"Come on, Sterling, that's not the problem!" Blaize told him in an exasperated tone. "She's a _Buneary. _The only danger we'll face is from her ears; they can pack quite a punch. Literally."

Lyric attempted to speak up, but was interrupted. "You two – "

"Then what are you worried about?" Sterling challenged, whirling on the Charmander with his fur bristling.

Blaize clenched his claws. "That's the place where we _met. _It's become a mystery dungeon." There was a note of hysteria in his voice.

That didn't sound too upsetting. Sterling sat back on his haunches, unsure of why his partner was overreacting. _His _heart was pounding at such a rapid rate because of the looming promise of capturing a wanted criminal.

"W-well, what's so bad about that?" he asked, twitching his tail.

"_Sterling." _Blaize gripped him by the shoulders, which was immensely uncomfortable. "The place was showing no signs of deterioration when we were there – and that was less than a week ago! If it was becoming a mystery dungeon, we would have seen the signs?"

Lyric made a startled chiming noise, but neither of the two paid her any attention.

"Do you know what this _means?" _the Charmander cried. "Mystery dungeons are appearing at a faster rate than normal! If it continues, then one could swallow up the town – and we'd be goners for sure!"

Sterling took a step back, wriggling from his grip, and watched in horror as his partner grew even more panicked. "Something must be causing this! There _has _to be someone who's messing up the space and time of the area!"

Lyric produced a comforting bell sound. "_Blaize, _this is nothing to worry about. I'm sure that it's nothing important."

The Charmander drew away, not looking at her – but not before he had whispered into Sterling's ear.

"And I'm afraid it's _me."_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Chapter title says all… the plot will finally begin to get interesting!_

_Next chapter, we'll find out a little more about Blaize's past, the plot will develop, and we'll be onto our next mystery dungeon! Yay!_

_Whoa! Nearly 3,000 hits? You, readers, are **awesome **(for lack of a more suitable term)._

_As soon as Raonix, Flora, and Nettle heal up, we'll have three... wonderful characters on our hands. You guys will like them, I promise. ;D_


	21. Unpleasant Occurrences

**CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE**

_**Unpleasant Occurrences**_

* * *

><p>That night's dinner was a sullen affair. The members of Team Guardian were quiet, muttering to themselves, and Team Peril was whispering with Lyric. None of them were allowing Team Storm to hear their conversations. Blaize remained stubbornly silent, refusing to speak a word even when asked a question. And, of course, Skaris and Flis were absent altogether.<p>

Sterling ate his meal without speaking, either – there was a lot was on his mind. What had Claret been freaking out about earlier – something about telling Blaize not to go near mystery dungeons? What was wrong with him going to the Hill of Sorrow? And why in Arceus's name did he think that it was _his _fault that mystery dungeons were forming more quickly?

And, of course, there was the ever-present question involving the Nuzleaf outlaw. The recent events had allowed Sterling to push it out of his mind, but it had returned to irritate him again. What, exactly, was going on? Were the grass-type's strange words connected with the mystery dungeon problem? And what about that _other _outlaw – the one who no one was speaking about, and who had dragged Flora into Boiling Pit?

A growl vibrated in the back of his throat as he continued to eat. A few of the Pokémon glanced briefly at him, but they turned back to their conversations soon enough. When he made a real effort to listen, Sterling could hear what they were so intent on talking about – the badly scalded Treecko, that mysterious outlaw, and Kalazar's retreat to the Dojo.

"That outlaw's wounded Nettle _and_ Rao. Someone needs to catch that criminal," Lyre was whispering heatedly to her Vulpix partner, who nodded in agreement. "I mean, honestly – he's been running wild for too long. Or she. I just wish that someone would tell us who that outlaw is…"

Sterling was unsurprised to learn that another rookie team didn't know of the mysterious criminal's identity. It seemed that the more experienced teams had been instructed to keep that information quiet… but for what reason?

He swiveled his ears, listening more closely to the conversation between Team Peril and Lyric. Blur and Taint were staying mostly quiet, just listening to the females talk.

"I wonder how Flora got to Boiling Pit in the first place," Blossom was murmuring, twisting her roses in a nervous gesture. "It makes no sense. The only grass-types there are members of an adventure team, and they don't have children – that odd Lombre and the Grovyle, and they're leaving in a few days…"

"Grass-types have never fared too well in the desert, no matter how close to water they may live," Lyric agreed. "It's no surprise that Team Verdant isn't staying long. They only came for their partner, I think – Emerald is what they call him, right?"

"He has some long name that he seems to hate – everyone does call him Emerald. But for such young Pokémon, they do seem to be very experienced… some have gone so far to call them prodigies. I mean, not every grass-type would be willing to follow their Vibrava friend into the middle of a desert," Blossom commented in a hushed voice.

"I hear that they might be visiting here soon. I think it's good that Deluge is letting them travel away from Providence Valley," Lyric agreed. "That old Swampert has always been more adventurous than _our _mayor, though…"

Blur made an odd noise, reminiscent of a screech, that _really _hurt Sterling's ears. "Hey! Elderberry's done a good job! You can't forget that Deluge was an adventurer once – that influences his decisions. And the teams here operate independently of the town, so even if Elderberry disapproves…" He shrugged. "She can't really stop us."

Sterling glanced hopefully at Blaize, but the Charmander appeared not to have heard the conversation. He sighed inwardly and spoke in a slightly nervous voice: "Uh… who's Elderberry…? And Deluge and Team Verdant?"

All four Pokémon glanced at him in surprise; they had evidently not been expecting him to eavesdrop on their conversation.

It was Lyric who answered the question, chiming faintly as she spoke. "Elderberry is the mayor of this town. She's very… cautious, and doesn't like to take risks. That's why she doesn't want the resident teams leaving the area to visit faraway places… but she doesn't have the power to prevent that, since the Newleaf Academy and Dojo belong to Team Never, and the shops by their respective owners, and not her."

"Basically, she got picked on as a Deerling, and doesn't want the townspeople to face the same," Taint simplified, earning himself a glare from his teammates.

"She's earned herself plenty of enemies," Lyric added in a dry tone, narrowing her eyes at the Golbat.

"But don't listen to the scatterbrained fool. I, for one, think that Elderberry has done a fabulous job and is merely being protective," Blossom announced, spreading her roses. Then she raised her voice so that the entire table could hear her: "Let's get back to eating. We've been doing _way_ too much talking."

Blaize, who was already done, just shook his head.

* * *

><p>When dinner finally came to an end, the teams headed off to their separate rooms. Sterling was faced with the task of leading his very silent partner away from their table, where he seemed determined to stay.<p>

"Come _on, _Blaize. You've been moody for such a long time – shouldn't you take a break now?" he tried. As soon as the words came out, he knew that it had been the wrong thing to say: Blaize gave him a deadly look and turned away.

"You promised that you'd tell me about this Hill of Sorrows stuff. And I would like to know about your whole mystery dungeon theory," Sterling grumbled, sitting back on his haunches and studying the fiery lizard. He'd had no clue how much he would miss that chattiness…

Surprisingly, Blaize stood up and stretched a little, sweeping his tail from side to side. "Fine," he said in a weary tone, as if listening to Sterling had exhausted him.

The Shinx was too pleased to have him talking again to care, though. "Okay! Off to our room, then." He bounced on his paws – a lot like Ariana – before setting off. "Come on, come on. We'll talk about it in the hammocks."

Blaize followed more slowly, trudging behind as they entered the hallway. (It was through a combined effort that they pulled the door open at all.)

He remained at that sluggish pace as Sterling entered their room, shoving with difficulty at the door until it swung open. Cursing the infernal contraptions under his breath, the feline padded up to his hammock and hopped in.

"Well? Tell me," he demanded, becoming more serious as the Charmander also entered. "This might turn out to be a big issue. I wish you hadn't kept me from this in the first place."

Blaize stopped suddenly, turning to look at him. There was something strange in his eyes – something that made Sterling distinctly uneasy. He instinctively flinched back, trying to move away from that odd expression.

"Where's Flare, Sterling?" Blaize asked flatly.

"_F-Flare?"_

"You heard me. Where is he? Wasn't he your best friend? Then why isn't he here with you?" the Charmander challenged.

Sterling simply stared, feeling the sting of those words. How could he respond to that? He had kept his secrets for a reason. Bringing up Flare – that topic – well, it was _unforgivable, _what Flare had done. Sterling had tried to forget, but…

"Not willing to talk? Then who's _Mirage?"_

That name.

It hadn't been spoken in so long. Months, maybe years. It was a name that he remembered, but it had seemed like he alone held that memory.

Sterling angled his ears forward, finding it hard to breathe. His chest felt painful now. "I… I've never said anything about Mirage. I – you – how do you know who she is?" He stumbled over the words.

"You talk in your sleep sometimes. Just a few words. 'Flare, come back.' 'Mirage, where are you?'" Blaize's stare was mocking. "Don't lecture me about keeping secrets when you've been doing it yourself, you hypocrite!"

They had a staring match in which no one spoke.

Inside, though, there was plenty of turmoil. Sterling was reeling, unable to believe that his new friend had spoken to him so harshly. He had trusted Blaize, or at least was beginning to – and yet that seemed to be a foolish mistake…

_How could I have done it again? _he wondered, something like hysteria rising in his throat. He suddenly felt the urge to shout, or cry.

Then Blaize hung his head, suddenly looking ashamed. "…I'm sorry. That was a low blow," he muttered. "It's just… I've… been stressed today. It's not because of you; I understand the need to keep secrets."

"It's okay," Sterling lied.

Blaize hopped up onto his hammock, carefully holding his tail in his paws. His gaze was drawn to the flame, and he stared at the flickering light as if mesmerized.

"Well, I didn't tell you about my birth," he said at last, finally breaking the uneasy silence. "Basically… I was hatched in a mystery dungeon. And my parents were scared… scared that it would affect my mind, since I was young and couldn't resist the disturbance caused by the distortion inside mystery dungeons."

"That mystery dungeon that you were born in was the Hill of Sorrow, right?" Sterling guessed, curling up awkwardly on the hammock. It swung whenever he moved, making his position feel less than comfortable. He was too busy examining Blaize's facial expression to care much, though.

The Charmander nodded slowly. "Yep, it was." He closed his eyes. "It hasn't affected much. I mean, I can see the borders of the mystery dungeons… and I can sometimes go a little… _weird _in them. After my Blaze ability stops working, I kind of go… feral."

Sterling stared at him. Could he trust his partner? Some part of him wanted to. But, after that outburst from earlier… could he? And, if this was true… was it safe to befriend someone who could turn into a _feral?_

"But that rarely happens, and you can probably restrain me with ease," Blaize said reassuringly, as if sensing his discomfort. "Anyways, my parents were terrified of my abilities, and were scared of me too. My father really disliked me – he's rarely at home. My mother thought that I was interesting instead, but she was afraid that I would get myself into trouble someday."

He made a strange, choked sound, almost like a sad laugh. "They treated me a little harshly, and my mother was way overprotective. But here I am today." He leaned forward and opened his eyes again, releasing his tail. "I was thinking that… maybe… one of the side-effects of my birth could be making mystery dungeons form more quickly."

"That's ridiculous," Sterling scoffed, immediately feeling the urge to comfort his partner. "In fact, it makes no sense. I bet that the real cause is something much bigger than that – maybe that… outlaw they keep talking about is behind it."

"Maybe." Blaize sounded unconvinced, but a hint of hope brightened his somber expression.

They sat in quiet after that, sitting on their hammocks. The tension in the air made the silence feel… _awkward._

As the room darkened around them, Sterling could no longer see his partner's face. He focused his gaze on Blaize's dim tail-flame instead, studying how it flickered and sparked.

He looped his tail around his paws, flicking the star-shaped tip. _I think… that Blaize is my friend. I guess there really was no meaning in what he said… maybe he was just stressed out. We can work together and be friends… I think that I can trust him…_

_But I should keep an eye on him…_

The Shinx looked out into the dark, turning his gaze away from the tail-flame. The only other light in the room came from the windows, and that was pale… _very_ pale, barely visible.

Yet something seemed to glitter on the wall that the moonlight illuminated.

Sterling shook his head slightly, dismissing it as his imagination, and turned back to Blaize. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, wondering about what to say. He wanted to ask the thought that stood out like a beacon in his mind: _Can I trust you?_

As he focused on the Charmander, a faint sound drifted to his ears. He listened harder, and a smile crept unwillingly across his face as he realized what it was.

Snoring.

The light from Blaize's tail-flame slowly dimmed to an ember, then to nothing. Sterling felt his own drowsiness and decided to make an effort to sleep.

As he slipped into the dark world of dreams, though, the question remained.

_Are you trustworthy?_

* * *

><p>Haunted dreams chased the Shinx through his sleep. He was swarmed with images of Blaize betraying him, of his mother's death, of Indigo's gleaming eyes and Flare lighting the world on fire – and, the most heartbreaking of all – <em>Mirage.<em>

He awoke, trembling and shaky, his entire coat standing on end. For a moment, he stared wildly into the interior of Team Storm's room, seeing nothing.

Then all memory returned, and he realized where he was.

A second later, a powerful voice resounded in his head – _**"IT'S MORNING! WAKE UP AND GET TO WORK, EVERYBODY!"**_

Then came the ever-familiar chiming of a bell, magnified to an unbearable volume. It rang loudly for several agonizing minutes, then came to a halt.

Sterling, howling, clutched at his ears. All he could hear was an unpleasant high-pitched ringing sound, which could only be described as torturous.

"STERLING!" came Blaize's shout. "CALM DOWN – IT WAS JUST THE ALARM!"

The Shinx writhed on the ground for a bit until his hearing fully returned. Already exhausted and in a terrible mood, he rose to his paws and sat back on his haunches. There was a nasty gleam in his eyes.

_Today is going to be horrible._

His suspicions were proved correct.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Let's just say that a lot is going on for Ster. He has plenty to worry about… which won't be making this bad day any better. xD_

_So we hear the first whispers of a new character, Mirage, Blaize's past is revealed… and we learn a bit about Team Verdant! They won't be important until __**waaay**__ later. (Months-in-the-future-later.)_

_I think you guys will enjoy the next chapter. ;D_


	22. The Visitors

**CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO**

_**The Visitors**_

* * *

><p>On the trip through Newleaf Town alone, Sterling tripped seven times, seemingly over thin air. Each clumsy fall triggered a rather unpleasant chain reaction – he landed on someone else, who tripped as a result of THAT and fell onto another Pokémon… and so on. It got to the point where Blaize took Sterling by the shoulders and steered him around large crowds.<p>

"This is ridiculous," the Shinx muttered, trying to wriggle away from his partner's grip. When it became clear that his efforts were in vain, he lashed his tail. And, as a result, caught a Houndoom in the face with the star-shaped tip.

"Hey! Watch it!" the canine barked, a low growl rumbling in the back of his throat.

Lyric sighed for the hundredth time, her voice sounding like a drawn-out chime. "I'm sorry, sir," she called back, a note of exasperation in her tone.

Blaize moved one claw from Sterling's shoulders to his tail, where he kept it still. The feline growled, even more annoyed than the Houndoom, but didn't resist anymore.

"I'm going to stock up our bags," Lyric announced, coming to a sudden halt. "Normally, I'd want you to come along and see how it's done, but…" She cast a wary glance at Sterling, who bristled beneath her gaze. "Somehow, I think it would be easier if I do it by myself. Go to the outskirts of the town and wait for me."

Sterling pinned his ears back, thoroughly annoyed with her tone. Did she really think that it was _his_ fault that he was so accident-prone? He wasn't having a particularly great time, either, and he was just as embarrassed as Lyric.

Blaize raised his head, apparently watching the psychic drift away. When she was out of his line of sight, he tightened his grip on Sterling's tail. "Come on. Let's go to the edge of the bridge," he said, almost with excitement. "I can't wait for them to arrive!"

"_Them?"_ Sterling echoed, thoroughly confused by this.

"Were you even listening to Lyre at breakfast?" the Charmander asked, rolling his eyes.

Of course, an answer wasn't exactly necessary. Sterling had spent most of his time glaring moodily at his plate, tearing into his meal with a vengeance. Even the sight of Ariana jumping about, squealing and waving her tails, hadn't been enough to make him want to listen.

"A bunch of foreign teams are coming over from some distant towns." Blaize was almost dragging Sterling in his haste, waving his tail about with excitement. (Why didn't _his _tail hit other Pokémon in the faces?) "Rescue teams, exploration teams, trading teams, adventure teams, and seeking teams."

Sterling increased his pace, really disliking the feeling of being dragged along the road. "And what are those again?" he muttered, swerving sharply to avoid a passing Throh and hitting a group of Spearow instead. (They squawked with annoyance and moved away.)

"Rescue teams rescue and exploration teams explore, of course. Trading teams are traveling merchants, as you know. Adventure teams do a mix of rescue and exploration work – rescuing, treasure hunting, apprehending outlaws, finding new areas… yeah, all of that. And seeking teams hunt for legendary Pokémon," Blaize explained in a rush, veering around a Glameow. "I hear that Team Purity is coming here from Pokémon Square – they've seen Celebi _and_ Mew."

Sterling pricked his ears as the torrent of voices faded – they had finally exited the town, though there was still a steady flow of traffic entering and leaving Newleaf. He made a dash to the side, knocking over a Maractus as he ran.

The flowery cactus Pokémon, instead of snapping at him, just waving in a friendly manner and got right back up, vanishing behind a trio of Shellos. They had seen the collision and were not so pleasant about it – they shot glares at Sterling over their slimy shoulders.

But the duo had finally gotten out of the mass of Pokémon. Sterling gave a relieved sigh, dropping to the ground and placing his head on his paws. It felt wonderful to just lay in the grass, instead of tripping over all sorts of unfamiliar Pokémon.

"I'll continue the story," Blaize chirped, not even breathing heavily from their mad dash. "So Team Purity's coming, and a few other really great Pokémon. They're mostly from Pokémon Square, Treasure Town, Providence Valley, Cobalt Heights, and even Obsidian Village, I hear."

"Which are…?" Sterling asked dryly, rolling onto his back. His stomach was wet with the droplets of dew that had hidden deep within the grass, surviving the harsh sun and the masses of Pokémon.

"Oh, of course you wouldn't know it." Blaize sat up, holding his tail in his paws. One claw went right through the flame, though he didn't seem to notice (or mind.) "Pokémon Square's an old town, and it's really big – bigger than the rest. Treasure Town is a bit newer, but it's still big. " His voice became a little more hushed. "It's by Amp Plains."

Sterling ducked his head, staring intensely at a particular blade of grass. He studied the silvery spheres of dew that clung to its smooth surface, refusing to budge.

"And… Providence Valley is pretty close to here, actually. Sort of. Compared to the first two, I mean." Blaize fiddled with his tail, now looking distinctly uncomfortable now that he had brought up _that _topic. "It's a month-long journey on foot, and a week-long trip by wing. It's tucked between two mountains, and it's rumored that the legendary Virizion guards it."

"The 'legendary' Virizion," Sterling echoed in a suddenly cold tone. "I bet that legendaries are no stronger than any other Pokémon. Everyone just builds their stupid religions on hope and weakness." He lashed his tail, sliding it over the grass. "I bet that _anyone _could beat Virizion."

A tense silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of the river nearby.

Blaize gripped his tail more tightly, his eyes wide and shocked. Sterling suppressed a hiss at the sight of his expression – what did he expect, _respect _towards some fabulous and amazing deity? Sterling hardly believed in Arceus, let alone the other "guardians." He just tolerated it.

_No, that was uncalled for, _Sterling thought to himself, shaking his head sharply. _I'm just in a bad mood – that's my problem. I should watch what I say…_

"Anyways," mumbled Blaize in a weaker voice. "Cobalt Heights is a town that overlooks the Vast Ocean. It relies on its rescue school and harbor to survive, since it's kind of far from civilization. Providence Valley is a lot closer to it than we are – we're farther north, near Obsidian and Nanab." He regained a little bit of strength as he spoke. "Obsidian Village is by the foot of the Northern Mountain Range. It's snowy year-round. And Nanab Village, which I just mentioned, is a small town by a mystery dungeon – no notable teams. And I think I should mention Turquoise Oasis as well, even though no one from there is coming down here."

Sterling nodded but said nothing. He turned his head, studying his partner's blue eyes, and debated about apologizing.

Then a head poked out of the river.

"Shut up," it said cheerfully.

* * *

><p>The stranger was a Swampert with an amulet around his neck. His blue skin was covered in scars, some of which were more faded than the others, though he had a calm and steady gaze.<p>

"'No notable teams?' That's a lie. _I _wasn't born in Nanab Village, but we live there," he announced, taking advantage of the duo's stunned silence. "It's surprisingly hard work, patrolling the village _and _taking frequent trips to Obsidian. It has produced some notable teams – they've just been moved around to other towns' bases."

"Wh-who are you?" Sterling stammered out, feeling a little dizzy. The monstrous amphibian was _much _bigger than him, or any other Pokémon that he'd met.

"I am Typhoon, captain of Team Nature," the Swampert replied, friendly as can be. The part of his body that shoved above the riverbanks tilted into a bow.

A wide grin spread across Blaize's face. "Team Nature… I've heard of you before! Though no one talks about you guys anymore..."

"That's because we changed our team name," Typhoon replied cheerily. "You might know me as the leader of Team Natural – or, better yet, the old captain of Team Flying Water Lilies."

* * *

><p>"Auriane! Auriane!"<p>

Kalazar charged from his room (which had formerly been Kaizen's), running straight into the middle of a Dojo battle. He was holding a paper in one paw and had even dropped one of his spoons in his haste and excitement.

Auriane deflected a Poison Tail from a Seviper and stepped back. "Fabulous job, Toxin. Bring the rest of Team Serpent tomorrow," he said, giving a short bow to the snake.

The Seviper nodded and moved at a surprisingly quick pace, opening the door with a strong blow from his tail-blade. It flew open, and he exited the Dojo.

"Auriane! I got a reply from Candor!" Kalazar shouted, acting like he was an Abra again. In fact, he even danced in a circle, dropping his other spoon in the process.

A hint of excitement flickered across Auriane's face, though he chose not to show it. "Really? What did she say?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"I was at my desk when she sent it! It was a psychic message, but I recorded it." Kalazar shoved the paper into Auriane's face; he recoiled sharply, pulling it away. "She says that she's happy to make contact with us again! And – well, you should probably read the paper."

Auriane turned his blue eyes to the clumsily-scrawled words. The Alakazam had obviously been writing with haste.

Despite the messy handwriting, the Dojo Master was able to make out most of what Kalazar had written.

_Greetings, Team Never. I have received your message. It is good to make contact with you again, after all of these years. _(There was a large smear, as if Kalazar had dropped his pen.) _The incidents in Newleaf are quite troubling. We have sensed a change in the aura of our mountain as well. _(Another, larger smear.) _Could you contact Deluge, Honeysuckle, Snowdrop, Thunder, Rye, Charcoal, and Quake? If they have noticed similar occurrences, then we are in trouble. _(Another smear.) _You will have to come to us, or send a team. We cannot afford to leave the mountain. Sincerely, Candor, Chieftain of the Mountain. _(That was purposefully vague. Auriane couldn't resist a smile at his former mentor – wary as always.)

"Charcoal and Quake will be hard to reach. I know that Charcoal rarely leaves the Hot Spring, even though he's the town elder, and that Quake is unable to exit his pond. He receives news from his visiting children," Auriane muttered. "Deluge will want to come right down here, and Elderberry won't like that. Honeysuckle probably won't do anything… and Snowdrop can't leave Obsidian, not with these storms…"

"Thunder would be good to contact, though. That old Blastoise is the best mayor that Cobalt ever had," Kalazar offered, his excitement dying down. "And Deluge would be worth talking to, as well as Charcoal and Quake. They live in distant places, so we'll know if this problem isn't confined to our area." He held out a clawed paw, which glowed pink – then his spoons zoomed into his open palm. They gleamed with psychic power.

"Still. It would be unfair to send messengers to the mountain _and _to those faraway towns." Auriane leaned back, sighing. "Though sending a team to contact Turquoise Oasis and the Sandstorm District won't be hard. The deserts aren't too far… Rye's not an impossible option…"

"Auriane!" Kalazar looked up, eyes suddenly brightening. "There are visitors from their bases and academies coming down here. We can contact Wigglytuff's Guild, Team ACT, the base leaders, the Sandstorm Castle royalty, _and _the Cobalt School."

"Killing a whole flock of Pidgey with one stone," Auriane agreed. "I'm going to need you to return to your Academy duties. Inform Kaizen of what has happened, and start spreading the word to the visiting teams. We _can't_ let this opportunity go to waste!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_I apologize for the month-long wait. This chapter was long overdue. And while finals did hold me up, I could have updated after that. It was pure laziness on my part, and I am completely sorry._

_But I'm alive (with a new pen name, yay!), the story's alive, and I apologize for that hiatus! _

_Team Flying Water Lilies makes its first appearance, and the plot is picking up. If you're confused by any of this, then good. No one is supposed to understand what's happening. Except for me, of course. :D_


	23. Reappearance

**CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE**

_**Reappearance**_

* * *

><p>"<em>You're <em>the leader of Team Flying Water Lilies?" Blaize cried out, his tail-flame sparking and increasing in size. He shifted closer to stare at the large Swampert, clapping his paws to his mouth. "Y-you guys were famous! Even though your team name was… odd… _everyone _knew you. Then…"

"We vanished from society?" Typhoon guessed, sitting back on his great scarred haunches. "Nah. The team was reassigned to Nanab, which is pretty secluded. And we changed our name there, figuring that it was a new beginning. Newleaf is well-connected, but that little jungle village is cut off from the world."

Sterling's memory went back a few days, settling on the time when he had awoken in the Academy. They had formed Team Storm and been sent out to explore the school. And even though it had occurred quite recently, it felt like it had happened a long time ago.

He tilted his head to the side, studying the Swampert before him with new respect in his eyes. Typhoon wasn't some mere eavesdropper anymore – no, he was the leader of a famous rescue team. He had saved many, many Pokémon in his life, had helped them, and had conquered a vast amount of mystery dungeons.

It was a humbling realization.

Typhoon slipped out of the river at that point, heaving his massive body onto the grass. He looked a bit clumsy on land, but all of his bulk would probably count for nothing in the water. The seemingly awkward fin placement would give him speed, too.

"I'm assuming that you're Academy kids," Typhoon said, friendly as can be. He sat back on his haunches again, looking very, very big. "What's your team name? I've given you mine, after all, and nothing is worse than 'Flying Water Lilies.'"

"We're Team Storm. We chose it because rescuers are kind of like the nourishing rain, the lightning that strikes down its foes, and the thunder that warns its enemies," Blaize replied, clasping his paws together.

It had never been exactly official that they were rescuers, but so far, they had only really accomplished rescue-type missions. Sterling nodded in agreement, deciding that it was a better summary than anything _he _could have come up with.

"A motto, huh?" Typhoon grinned at them. "_Ours _wasn't nearly so well thought out. 'The water lilies that fly to save you!'" Then he broke into deep, rumbling laughter, which seemed to echo from deep within his body.

Sterling found himself smiling. It was hard to dislike this friendly Pokémon.

Then came a noisy chime from nearby. "So _there _you are! I told you to wait by the outskirts of town, not at the _bridge!" _

Sterling knew who it was without even looking – it was easy to recognize Lyric's distinctive chiming voice. He turned, twitching his tail, and, sure enough, there was their tag-along mentor.

"Ah! Lyricial!" Typhoon's smile grew wider. "The last time I saw you, you were still a wee Chingling!"

"And you were a bossy Marshtomp," the Chimecho replied, smiling as well. "It's nice to see you again, you big, stupid mudfish."

"Bratty bell-ghost," Typhoon replied teasingly. "I was just talking to Team Storm over here. They're your Green Ranked newbies, aren't they?"

Sterling was offended at this. "We're not _weak,"_ he interjected, indignant. "Just because we're small doesn't mean that we're newbies. Plenty of Pokémon are small but strong."

"But you're not," Lyric answered, now being unnecessarily blunt. "We can fix that, though. Say goodbye to this amphibious idiot, and we'll be off to try and catch our outlaw."

Sterling sat up, shaking his coat vigorously in an attempt to dislodge the dew clinging to it. Next to him, Blaize was brushing scraps of grass and dirt from his scarlet scales. When they had finished, Lyric gave Typhoon a friendly nod and drifted off in the direction of the (overcrowded) bridge.

The Swampert lifted one great paw to wave, calling a cheerful farewell. Then he slipped soundlessly back into the river, maybe to lie in wait for the next interesting conversation.

* * *

><p>It was becoming clear that Blaize's words were true. Foreign teams <em>were <em>traveling to Newleaf Town, though Sterling had no clue why. As they passed over the bridge, he heard plenty of unfamiliar accents. They all sounded strange to him – had he really gotten used to the Newleaf accent so quickly?

When they entered the field leading to Pecha Grove, though, the rush of noise gradually faded. The only sound now was the rustling of the long grass, accompanied by faint breathing. For once, it was truly peaceful.

Sterling's worries seemed to fade as he bounded through the grass, weaving between the tall stems. There was nothing but the vast sky above and the green around him as he rushed along, quickly losing Lyric and Blaize.

It occurred to him that the grass had grown quite dramatically in the time since they had left. Perhaps it was a side effect of the mystery dungeon's appearance. After all, the distortion affected time as well as space…

Suddenly, he pricked his ears, angling them forward. There was a sound coming from just ahead – a body, pushing through the stems.

But Lyric and Blaize were behind him.

Instinctively, his fur began to bristle and his back arched. He suppressed the hiss that trembled in the back of his throat and slunk forward, trying to move quickly, yet quietly. If he could catch this other Pokémon by surprise, then it would be a simple matter to defeat it.

He turned left, taking the path that his instincts told him. Sure enough, a trail had already been torn through the grass, though the culprit was nowhere in sight.

Sterling pressed his body low to the ground, charging forward a few steps before slowing down. His instincts were roaring at him to be cautious.

And they also told him that this strange Pokémon wasn't a villager or a visitor. And if it was, it was a very unwelcome guest indeed.

_There! _Just ahead was a flash of color. Sterling nearly broke into a run, but stopped himself just on time. Losing the element of surprise would _not _be a mistake that he could recover from. He had to ambush this stranger, or else he would lose the battle – or the Pokémon would run away.

He paused by a thick clump of grass stems, swiveling his ears forward. The sounds of rustling and shoving had slowed somewhat, as if the stranger had grown tired, or was going to stop soon. And that was Sterling's advantage.

Triumph rose within him. He peered around the corner of the grass stems, his claws already sliding out in preparation to attack.

And there.

A Luxio.

With reddish-tinted fur and an unusually fluffy neck and tail.

And golden eyes.

There was no way to stifle the gasp that tore itself from Sterling's throat. His entire body suddenly felt limp and useless, and he felt like crumbling before this Pokémon – this Luxio who was not a stranger, but did not belong in this field, so far away from home.

Flare whirled, his fur standing on end, his muscles tensing. He relaxed somewhat when his golden eyes fell upon Sterling – and tensed again when he saw the silver eyes.

This was no comrade of his.

Sterling's heart beat even faster. Why was Flare here? No, no – he _knew _why Flare was here. It was not a question that needed to be asked. It was stupid. It was terrible. It was _reality._

"Nice to see you again, my friend," Flare said, that old crooked smile spreading across his face. Yet there was a glint of teeth – something that had never been present before. This was a mocking smile, not a happy one.

"I-it's going a little far to call us 'friends.'" Sterling corrected his stutter, but it was too late to take back that moment of weakness. His scornful tone cracked and faded.

Flare stepped forward, extending his muzzle to sniff at the Shinx. They weren't close, but he had always had a sharp nose. "You've been living with the villagers, haven't you." It was not a question. "And I smell fire on your fur."

"Really? I can't smell anything else but your _stink." _But the insult was dead before it left Sterling's mouth. He was shocked, stunned, numb. Flare was here. _Flare was here._

"I haven't washed in a few days, it's true." The former Flareon Shinx shook it off like it was nothing. Cool, calm, and collected, even when that destructive fire raged within him. Its hunger shone in his golden eyes.

"Water has never been good for me, though," he continued, shaking his head as if it was a truly sad fact. "Anyways, Sterling – how have you been doing? The hunting is good around this mystery dungeon. Fruit attracts rodents, and rodents are prey."

Sterling growled. For some reason, the thought of Flare in the place where he and Blaize had met was unacceptable. It was as if his old friend was tainting that sacred spot – even if the new mystery dungeon had tainted it more.

"Not going to answer my question? Fine by me. The less chatter, the better." Flare's crooked smile grew wider, revealing more teeth. That hungry smile. "You know why I'm here."

Yes. Flare was coming because Indigo had asked. The Pokémon who had once been his worst enemy was now his mentor, his ally, and his leader. Flare was coming because he was taking Sterling back, even if the silver-eyed Shinx was unwelcome in the tribe.

Nobody was allowed to leave Amp Plains. _Nobody._

Not even freaks.

Then footsteps sounded from behind.

Flare's golden gaze snapped to the rustling grass. He turned, giving Sterling that crooked, toothy smile, and then he was gone. Off into the field.

Blaize appeared, holding a paw to his head. "Arceus, this is confusing. I don't remember the grass _ever _being this long." He was clearly worried about the formation of the mystery dungeon, but was trying to replace the thought with stupid humor.

Then he noticed Sterling's expression. "What's wrong, Ster? You look like a Haunter just licked you."

"Haunters don't live around here, and if they did, they would know stronger attacks than Lick," Lyric corrected, drifting up from behind. Her chiming voice was oddly soothing, and it snapped Sterling out of his reverie.

"I, uh, thought I saw something," the Shinx lied. "It's nothing important. Let's get going – we have an outlaw to catch."

* * *

><p>Pecha Grove was, unsurprisingly, a forest composed mainly of Pecha trees. However, the temporal distortion had already affected the growth of the fruit. Many Pechas hung low, their pink skin discolored and mottled with brown. In the few days since the dungeon had formed, they had already rotted.<p>

The trees seemed to droop beneath the weight of the berries, thrusting out their browning leaves and overripe fruit, as if pleading the world to take it away. A few Pechas had already dropped to the forest floor, decaying amongst the sparse undergrowth – but not many.

Sterling wrinkled his nose against the stink of the berries as he neared them. The grove had changed from when he had last seen it – but, of course, Flare had been in here. Flare's presence had caused the whole forest to rot.

Even thinking the name made his heart beat quite rapidly. He was glad for the distraction when a Pidove swooped down from above, squawking loudly and flapping its wings.

"Spark it!" Blaize shouted, lunging forward with his claws extended. He executed the Scratch attack with relative ease, knocking the gray bird back. In fact, it was even wobbling – thanks to his Nidoking father, Blaize had poisoned it.

Sterling charged as well, his fur flaring with electric energy. Beside him, Blaize struck out with a Metal Claw. Together, they successfully battered the pigeon into submission, leaving it unconscious on the forest floor.

"Good teamwork," Lyric chimed from nearby, floating along. "But we've got a lot more to go. This is supposed to be a ten-floor dungeon. Don't tire yourselves out."

Sterling, stepping back from the body of the Pidove, made an enormous effort to push the thought of Flare from his mind. There would be more time to think about it later.

_But now… _

"We have an outlaw to catch," he muttered, repeating his words from earlier.

He narrowed his silver gaze, studying his surroundings, and then headed onwards. Blaize slowed down to wait for him, and they set off again.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong>

_Flare makes his first appearance in something other than a flashback! Yep, the story is finally getting somewhere._

_I should probably explain the jobs of rescue and exploration teams. Instead of explorers doing rescue work as well as exploring, which kind of defeats the point, their purpose is solely to hunt for treasure and explore new dungeons. They can also hunt legendaries, in which case they're called "seeker-explorers." _

_On the other hand, rescuers do most of the dirty work. They rescue Pokémon, escort them through dungeons, pick up lost items, and apprehend outlaws. Adventure teams (which is partially taken from the adventure squads of the Wii PMD games) do both rescue and exploration work._

_Short chapters are short, long waits are long... I'm sorry! D: T__he next one won't be very long, either, since I'll be skipping a few dungeon floors. _


End file.
